Although many people ignore the facts, flying is bad for the environment, but if you want to offset some of that guilt, if you feel any, you can at least be safe in the knowledge that flying is a healthy form of travel, at least it is in the sense that you have to do a lot of walking, thus increasing your steps count, between arrival on land and departure through air.
According to a study by Parkos, which calculated the longest distances to a boarding gate among all European airports, the longest route is at Madrid Barajas Airport.
Parkos calculated the number of kilometres from the entrance to the departure lounge to the farthest gate using Google Earth.
With a maximum distance of 2,503 metres from the entrance to the furthest gate, the Madrid Airport ranks first in Europe for the longest walking distances to a boarding gate.
Athens Airport is located just behind, within walking distance of 2490 metres, and then Charles de Gaulle Airport, France, with 2,346 metres.
For UK airport departers, Heathrow is your best bet for increasing your steps, coming in at fifth place in Europe, with 1,798 metres.
Locally, if you fly from Alicante Elche Miguel Hernandez Airport, you will be expected to walk a mere 706 metres, less than a third than that in Madrid, but as that comes in at just over 900 steps, it will not even be offset by the coffee and donut you buy in the departure lounge!
