Dimensions Guide

The longest runway measures 5,500 m (18,045 ft). It is at the Qamdo Bangda Airport in China. Its coordinates are 30 degrees, 33’ 13” N, 097 degrees, 06’ 31” E. The following is a list of other runways, their lengths and location.

The Top Eleven

The next longest is 5,403 m (17,726 ft) in Ramenskoye Airport in Russia. At number three is the runway at Ulyanovsk Vostochny Airport in Russia. It measures 5,000 m (16,404 ft). The fourth longest is at the Embraer Unidade Gavião Peixoto Airport in Brazil. It is 4,967 m or 16,295 ft long.

The fifth longest is at Upington Airport in the United States (4,900 m; 16,076 ft). The sixth longest runway is 4,877 m (16,000 ft) long. It is at Denver International Airport also in the Untied States.

Zimbabwe’s Harare International Airport has the seventh longest at 4,725 m (15,502 ft). At number eight is N’djili Airport in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is 4,700 m (15,420 ft) long. The ninth longest is at Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport. It is 4,673 m (15,327 ft).

Rounding off the top ten is the 4,620 m (15,157 ft) runway at Mmabatho International Airport in South Africa. The Hwange National Park Airport in Zimbabwe is 4,600 m (15,091 ft), making it the 11th longest.

The Longest Runways: 12th to 16th

At 12th place is the US’ Southern California Logistics Airport, where the runway is 4,587 m (15,050 ft). 13th place is occupied by Edwards Air Force Base in the US (4,576 m; 15,013 ft). The runway at Qatar’s Doha International Airport is the 14th longest at 4,572 m (15,000 ft). The Shuttle Landing Faculty and the Vandenberg Air Force Base are also the same length.

Al Maktoum International Airport in the United Arab Emirates is at 15th place. It is 4,500 m (14,764 ft). The Almaty International Airport in Kazakhstan is also the same length. At 16th place is Bushehr Airport in Iran. The runway measures 4,470 m (14,664 ft).

The Longest Runways: 17th to 25th

John F. Kennedy International Airport in the US is 4,442 m (14,572 ft) long. At 18th place is the runway at Indira Gandhi International Airport in India (4,430 m; 14,534 ft).

The 19th longest is at Eielson Air Force Base in the US. The runway measures 4,429 m (14,530 ft). The runway at the McCarran International Airport measures 4,423 m (14,510 ft), good for 20th spot.

The 21st longest is found at OR Tambo International Airport in South Africa (4,418 m; 14,495 ft). The 22nd longest is at Isfahan International Airport in Iran (4,397 m; 14,425 ft).

Hamedan Air Base in Iran is 4,359 m (14,300 ft) long, good for 23rd place. The 24th longest is at Barajas Airport in Spain (4,350 m; 14,272 ft). The 25th longest is 4,334 m (14,220 ft). It is at the Shiraz International Airport in Iran.

Having the longest runways is important as airliners require them. For airports, having adequately sized runways can mean the difference between being serviceable and being inadequate.