The air traffic control tower is the most important part of any airport, yet it’s also the most unacknowledged. Fliers seldom stop to admire their ethereal beauty and futuristic silhouettes. We’re missing out: These towers are fascinating architectural specimens.
Below, you’ll find our tribute to the incredible architectural variety and delicate design of air traffic control towers all over the world. If your local tower is missing, drop it in the comments!
The Suvarnabhumi International Airport (aka New Bangkok International Airport of Thailand) has the world’s tallest air traffic control tower, at 132.2m.
Picture: Ed Wray/AP
The world’s 2nd tallest ATC tower can be found at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Sepang, Malaysia.
Picture: Vincent Thian/AP
Hartsfield-Jackson airport, Atlanta — the world’s third tallest ATC tower
Picture: David Goldman/AP
John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York
Picture: Attila Nagy/Gizmodo
Manchester Airport, Manchester, England
Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada
Picture: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
The new tower at the McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Picture: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Los Angles International Airport (LAX), California.
Picture: David McNew/Getty Images
Opa-locka Executive Airport, Florida.
Picture: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Picture: Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images
Charles-de-Gaulle airport, Roissy, Paris, France.
Picture: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Gatwick Airport, London, England.
Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Berlin Tegel Airport, Berlin, Germany.
Picture: Sean Gallup/Getty Images
O’Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois.
Picture: Tim Boyle/Getty Images
Willy Brandt Berlin Brandenburg International Airport, Berlin, Germany.
Picture: Sean Gallup/Getty Images
Airport Madrid-Barajas, Madrid, Spain.
Picture: Fernando Camino/Cover/Getty Images
Brussels National Airport, Steenokkerzeel, Brussels, Belgium.
Picture: Mark Renders/Getty Images
Lester B. Pearson Airport, Toronto, Canada.
Picture: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas, Texas.
Picture: Fox Photos/Getty Images
Liszt Ferenc Airport, Budapest, Hungary.
Picture: Attila Nagy/Gizmodo
Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Shanghai, China
Picture: Attila Nagy/Gizmodo
Newark Liberty International Airport, Newark, N.J.
Picture: Mel Evans/AP
Mascot Airport, Sydney, Australia.
Picture: John Donegan/AP
World Central-Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Picture: Kamran Jebreili/AP
Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Picture: Peter Dejong/AP
Haneda Airport, Tokyo, Japan.
Picture: Koji Sasahara/AP
Dulles International Airport, Washington, in 1976.
Picture: AP
Edinburgh Airport, Scotland.
Picture: Herry Lawford
Farnborough Airport, England.
Picture: Steve Parker
Arlanda Airport, Sweden.
Picture: Carles Tomás Martí
Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.
Picture: Kamran Jebreili/AP