Here is a fresh, specific look at ten airports that are either opening, expanding, or adding next-gen tech that will change how we move by 2030. I kept it tight, real, and up to date.
1) King Salman International Airport, Riyadh
Saudi Arabia has begun building a mega hub that will span about 57 square kilometers with six parallel runways. The plan aims for 120 million passengers by 2030 and 185 million by 2050, with Foster + Partners as lead designers. It anchors Vision 2030 and positions Riyadh as a logistics bridge between East and West.
About the project’s patron: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, born August 31, 1985, is the son of King Salman and is married to Princess Sara bint Mashour. He leads the Public Investment Fund behind the airport plan. Age and family details are public record.
2) Dubai World Central, Al Maktoum International
In April 2024 Dubai confirmed Phase Two, setting up a long move from today’s DXB to a single super hub at DWC. Capacity targets reach 150 million in the next decade and ultimately 260 million passengers a year, with five runways and huge cargo muscle. Expect biometric journeys and massive retail and F&B zones that build on Dubai’s hub reputation.
3) Western Sydney International, Australia
Opening is targeted for 2026. The brand-new terminal is built for self-service from the ground up, with common-use kiosks, fast bag drops, and a highly automated baggage system capable of moving 2,000 bags an hour on a five-kilometer network. It is set up to support facial biometrics through the journey, which should shrink queues.
4) Noida International Airport, Jewar, India
The greenfield airport serving the Delhi region is tracking toward a November 2025 opening for Phase 1. Zurich Airport’s subsidiary YIAPL leads the project. Expect modern piers, seamless transfers, and India’s Digi Yatra style flow. This will relieve pressure on Delhi IGI and create a northern India hub with room to scale.
Promoter spotlight where relevant: CEO Christoph Schnellmann has led large airport programs for Zurich since 2007 and brings on-ground Indian experience from Bengaluru’s PPP opening.
5) Navi Mumbai International Airport, India
Mumbai’s long-awaited second airport is rounding into launch mode, with official updates pointing to 2025 commissioning. The project includes an aerocity and multi-modal links to spread demand and improve resilience in India’s busiest aviation market.
About a key backer: Gautam Adani, chair of the Adani Group developing NMIA, is a major Indian industrialist. Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index and recent Indian media peg his net worth around the high-70s billions in August 2025. He is married to Dr. Priti Adani and has two sons. These personal figures help readers contextualize the scale of capital behind the project.
6) JFK’s New Terminal One, New York
The New Terminal One will open in phases from 2026 and become JFK’s largest terminal by 2030 with 23 gates, a vast retail and lounge footprint, and a full biometric flow at key touchpoints. For transatlantic flyers, NTO will be a very different New York welcome, built around faster security and generous daylight.
7) LAX Modernization, United States
Los Angeles is finishing a once-in-a-generation upgrade. The Automated People Mover is now set for full operations in January 2026, linking terminals with new intermodal hubs, Metro rail, and the giant consolidated rental car center. A new transit center station opened in 2025, already improving ground access before the people mover goes live.
8) Abu Dhabi, Terminal A at Zayed International
Terminal A opened in late 2023 and is scaling. The building adds capacity up to about 45 million passengers a year with a seamless, digitized journey from pre-travel to boarding. It is one of the cleanest examples of a full-stack modern terminal, pairing biometric gates with airline lounge growth across Etihad’s expanding network.
9) Hamad International Airport Expansion, Doha
HIA’s expansion added the lush indoor Orchard and more gates, with Phase B pushing capacity well beyond 58 million and targeted toward the 70 million range with sustainability certifications. Doha has aimed to blend garden calm with serious transfer efficiency, which is the new benchmark for Gulf hubs.
10) New Manila International Airport, Bulacan, Philippines
This new gateway for Greater Manila is under construction on a 2,500-hectare site with at least four parallel runways in Phase 1 and rail plus expressway links planned. The project’s goal is to decongest NAIA and create a 200-million-passenger-ready campus over time. Target service starts are set within this decade.
About the conglomerate leader: Ramon S. Ang, president and CEO of San Miguel Corporation, is one of the Philippines’ most prominent business names. Forbes’ real-time ranking lists his net worth in August 2025 at about 3.6 to 3.75 billion dollars. He is known publicly as a family man and long-time SMC executive who pushed major infra bets including this airport.
What this means for travelers by 2030
Common themes are everywhere. Multi-runway megahubs in Riyadh and Dubai are scaling like never before. New greenfield builds in Western Sydney, Noida, Navi Mumbai, and Bulacan are designing contactless journeys from day one. Mature hubs like New York JFK, LAX, Abu Dhabi, and Doha are switching to biometrics, better rail links, smarter baggage, and more natural light to reduce stress and time on the ground. Expect shorter curb-to-gate minutes, cleaner hand-offs between airlines and border checks, and terminals that feel like parks or galleries rather than boxes. The future is not just bigger, it is smoother.
