Airports in Asia

Ekaterinburg Koltsovo Airport is the fifth-largest international airport in Russia, and the largest regional airport. It serves as the main gateway to Siberia and Ural, both major business centers, and is close to the Trans-Siberian Railway, which has a station in Ekaterinburg. Flights to Ekaterinburg Koltsovo Airport come from a number of cities across Russia, and a few in Europe and Asia.

Ekaterinburg is one of the largest cities in Russia, and is famous for its many theaters, libraries and museums. It'll take 30–40 minutes to get into town, but if you can, it'll be well worth exploring.

Ekaterinburg Koltsovo Airport has been renovated in recent years, and as it's currently operating below its capacity of eight million passengers per year, you won't need to queue for too long.

Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) is situated approximately 31 miles (50km) south of Kuala Lumpur. It is one of south-east Asia’s largest airports, and is ranked as the 13^th busiest airport in the world with around 35 million passengers per year.

The airport is a veritable city, spanning an enormous 100 km² (38 m²) and employing a 25,000-strong workforce, which results in efficient service throughout all operations.

The passenger terminal complex consists of three buildings – the Satellite Building, Contact Pier and the main terminal building (Terminal 1). The Satellite building, in addition to housing a vast array of restaurants, cafes and shops, serves international flights departing from and arriving at Kuala Lumpur International. The Contact Pier is reserved for passengers of Malaysia Airlines, while Terminal 1 caters to the needs of all passengers arriving, departing or in transit.

Although not as extravagant as Singapore and Seoul Incheon, Kuala Lumpur International is modern, clean and easy to navigate. With a host of excellent retail outlets and dining establishments, you won’t have any trouble killing time. Better yet, an advanced railway system gets you to Kuala Lumpur Sentral in less than 30 minutes.

Take note that carrying alcohol into Kuala Lumpur is generally prohibited. Alcoholic beverages are sealed in special bags and are only allowed to be opened once you have departed.

Kuwait International Airport (KWI) is situated approximately 9.5 miles (15.5km) south of Kuwait City. The current building, which houses one terminal for arrivals and departures, handles more than 100 flights per day and 8 million passengers per year. A second terminal, scheduled to open in 2014, is set to increase this figure to 20 million passengers per annum.

Kuwait International does not fare well when compared to other leading Middle Eastern airports such as  Dubai or Bahrain. It is notorious for long queues. However, often described as a shopper’s paradise rather than an airport, one need only set foot in its gigantic mall (also known as the Commercial Center) to see where the airport’s real strengths lie. Flooded with natural light that streams through towering glazed windows, the interior of the multi-level Commercial Center is a pleasure to explore. When viewed from the air, its rooftop resembles the vapor trails of jets blasting away from the main terminal building.   

Serving one of the biggest and busiest cities in the world, Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) handles more than 35 million passengers each year. The primary hub for flights in and out of Japan, the airport is served by all major international airlines with connections to hundreds of cities worldwide.

Housed in a sleek, modern building with two terminals, the airport is efficient. There might not be fantastic views from the airport to gaze at, but there is plenty of entertainment to keep travelers busy for the duration of their stay.

Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) is about 4.3 miles (7km) south of Manila, the cosmopolitan capital of the Philippines, and is a major gateway to the country. It serves as a hub for all Philippine airlines and is one of the 50 busiest airports in the world, serving 27 million passengers each year. Flights to Ninoy Aquino International Airport arrive from major hubs in Asia and the Pacific region, as well as a handful of cities a little further afield such as Amsterdam, Detroit and Dubai.

If you're catching one of the many international flights to Ninoy Aquino International Airport, chances are you'll go through the old Terminal 1, widely regarded as one of the worst terminals in Asia. It generally operates way over capacity, especially in peak season – so make sure you factor in lots of time. There are plans to shift more international flights to the sleek new Terminal 3, although so far, this has been hampered by red tape.

Overall, this airport is a little chaotic and can be confusing to navigate, but with a healthy dose of patience, you'll get through it to your vacation in the Philippines without too much trouble.

Located on the eastern coast of Pudong, approximately 19 miles (30 km) east of central Shanghai, Shanghai Pudong International (PVG) is one of Asia’s main aerial hubs. In 2010 it handled 40.6 million passengers, making it the third busiest airport in China and the 20th busiest in the world. 

Shanghai Pudong consists of two passenger terminals, flanked on either side by three parallel runways, with the Maglev Railway Station located at the center of the complex. Inside the terminals, you’ll find a fair variety of services and facilities, in addition to a number of upmarket retail and duty free stores.

A range of renovations are planned: by 2015 a third passenger terminal, satellite terminal, and two more runways will be built, the result of which will increase the airport’s handling capacity from 60 to 80 million passengers per year.

Like most major international hubs, Shanghai Pudong can get chaotic during peak hours. Not all staff are bilingual; however, they are generally friendly and helpful. Overall, the airport is clean, efficient and reasonably modern. 

Pulkovo Airport (LED) is located roughly 12 miles (20km) from downtown St Petersburg, Russia. One of the busiest airports in the country, Pulkovo is a hub for Rossiya Airlines and processes nearly 9 million passengers each year.

The airport can best be described as “no frills,” with little to offer in the way of shopping or restaurants. One of the major complaints is the high prices, with a sandwich costing sometimes six times the price of a cafe in town. The airport also tends toward chaos, especially if you use popular Russian airline Aeroflot. Once you’re past security, it’s best to find your gate as soon as possible and take your cues from other passengers, as information is often only posted in Cyrillic.

Flights to Pulkovo Airport come from cities all over Europe and Asia in addition to the numerous domestic routes within Russia, including Rome, Paris, London, Tel Aviv, Helsinki, Beijing, Amsterdam, Warsaw, Oslo, Sharm-el-Sheikh, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Barcelona, Frankfurt, Bangkok, Istanbul, and Phuket.

Named after the world’s first female combat pilot, Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW) is located 22 miles (35 km) south-east of the center of Istanbul, on the Asian side of the bi-continental city. Built in response to ever rising numbers of visitors to Istanbul, the airport handled about 11 million passengers in 2010.

Comprising one newly built terminal for both international and domestic arrivals and departures, Sabiha Gokcen International has a capacity of 25 million passengers (which it expects to reach by 2023) and a host of shops, facilities and services that are on par with global standards. In 2010, it was awarded the title “World’s Best Airport” at the World Low Cost Airlines Congress in London.   

With a light rail link scheduled to be completed at the end of 2011 (reducing traveling time to the city to 29 minutes), as well as an extensive array of existing transport options available to and from the city, Sabiha Gokcen International is a convenient gateway to Istanbul and surrounds. Moreover, friendly and efficient staff make it a pleasure to visit.