Tallest air traffic control tower 2022

Perhaps one of the most distinctive features of an airport is the control tower. They literally tower above the rest of the buildings, as important in stature as they are to the running of the airport. But which are the tallest control towers in the world? We’ve done some digging.

Airport control towers are responsible for keeping an eye on everything that happens on the tarmac. Obviously, height is a distinct advantage here. The tower is considered the center of activity, with Air Traffic Control (ATC) giving the go-head for any plane to move, land, take off, or taxi. Although each tower is different, and some are even distinctive in design, they are all tall. Some are very tall.

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Top spot by just one meter

The award for the tallest radio control tower at an airport goes to a very recent addition. The Jeddah King Abdulaziz international ATC tower in Saudi Arabia only opened in 2017. At 136m (446ft), it's taller than the Great Pyramid of Giza. However, this new addition is yet to be fully recognized as the tallest tower, considering it is so new.

Second place goes to Tower West in Kuala Lumpur. Finished in 2013, the tower measures 133.8 meters (438 ft). Tower West has 33 floors plus the rooftop and is still recognized by the Guinness World Records as the tallest Air Traffic Control Tower in the world.

Kuala Lumpur International Airport is home to some of the tallest air traffic control towers in the world. One of these, Tower East, is a whopping 130 meters tall, nearly 10 meters taller than the 5th place Hartsfield-Jackson air traffic control tower.

The height of Tower East is even more impressive considering that it is one of the older towers on this list—it was built in 1998, nearly 25 years ago, before many of the most recent advances in building technology. It is also one of the few air traffic control towers with its own nickname, as some people affectionately call it “The Slim Lady.”

However, none of this is enough to make Tower East the tallest air traffic control tower in Kuala Lumpur Airport, let alone in the world.

3. Bangkok International Airport (Suvarnabhumi), Thailand

Until recently, the air traffic control tower at Suvarnabhumi New Bangkok International Airport was the tallest in the world. It stands at a whopping 132.2 meters tall. 

The tower was built in 2005 to serve New Bangkok International Airport. An air traffic controller sitting in the cabin at the top can survey an area covering 32 square kilometers.

Thailand’s airport is ever busier as the country becomes an important international tourist destination. With dozens of flights an hour, the air traffic controllers perched in the tower will certainly appreciate the view!

2. Tower West, Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA2), Malaysia

Not content with losing the title of tallest air traffic control tower to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur International Airport built an even taller air traffic control tower, Tower West, in 2013 (Of course, the real reasons for building it probably weren’t that petty and had more to do with serious concerns such as infrastructure.).

Tower West towers over Tower East and measures 133.8 meters above land. According to some measurements, it is the tallest air traffic control tower in the world because it measures 141.9 meters above sea level.

Until very recently, Kuala Lumpur’s Tower West was the world record holder for the tallest air traffic control tower.

1. King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

When measured from base to top, the air traffic control tower at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah is the tallest in the world. It is 136 meters tall. 

Jeddah’s tower is also one of the newest on the list. It was only finished in 2017 and cuts a spectacular silhouette.

The list is not without its controversies. Some people still acknowledge Tower West in Kuala Lumpur as the tallest when measured from sea level to top. Others cite Vancouver Harbour Tower and Water Airport’s ATC tower as the tallest, but the tower is not a freestanding building at the Canadian airport.

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