Here Are The 15 Busiest Airports In The World

In 2024, global air travel reached an all-time high with 9.4 billion passengers, an 8.4% increase from 2023 and 2.7% above 2019 levels, according to the Airports Council International World report. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport retained its title as the busiest airport globally, while Dubai International Airport led in international passenger traffic.

Key Highlights

• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) processed over 108 million passengers, maintaining its position as the world’s busiest airport, though still 2% below its 2019 figures.
• Dubai International Airport (DXB) handled 92.3 million passengers, all international, marking a 7% increase from pre-pandemic levels and topping the list for international passenger traffic.
• Global passenger traffic is projected to reach 9.9 billion in 2025, despite challenges like economic uncertainty, geopolitical airspace restrictions, and aircraft production delays.

Busiest Airports by Total Passengers

The following airports recorded the highest total passenger traffic in 2024:

1. Atlanta, USA (ATL) – 108.1 million
2. Dubai, UAE (DXB) – 92.3 million
3. Dallas/Fort Worth, USA (DFW) – 87.8 million
4. Tokyo, Japan (HND) – 85.9 million
5. London, UK (LHR) – 83.9 million
6. Denver, USA (DEN) – 82.4 million
7. Istanbul, Turkey (IST) – 80.1 million
8. Chicago, USA (ORD) – 80.0 million
9. New Delhi, India (DEL) – 77.8 million
10. Shanghai, China (PVG) – 76.8 million
11. Los Angeles, USA (LAX) – 76.6 million
12. Guangzhou, China (CAN) – 76.4 million
13. Incheon, South Korea (ICN) – 71.2 million
14. Paris, France (CDG) – 70.3 million
15. Singapore (SIN) – 67.7 million

Busiest Airports by International Passengers

For international travel, the top airports in 2024 were:

1. Dubai, UAE (DXB) – 92.3 million
2. London, UK (LHR) – 79.2 million
3. Incheon, South Korea (ICN) – 70.7 million
4. Singapore (SIN) – 67.1 million
5. Amsterdam, Netherlands (AMS) – 66.8 million
6. Paris, France (CDG) – 64.5 million
7. Istanbul, Turkey (IST) – 63.0 million
8. Frankfurt, Germany (FRA) – 56.2 million
9. Hong Kong (HKG) – 52.9 million
10. Doha, Qatar (DOH) – 52.7 million
11. Bangkok, Thailand (BKK) – 50.3 million
12. Madrid, Spain (MAD) – 48.7 million
13. Taipei, Taiwan (TPE) – 44.7 million
14. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (KUL) – 41.9 million
15. Barcelona, Spain (BCN) – 40.7 million

Notable Trends

• Airports showing significant growth compared to 2019 include:
  • Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW): Jumped from No. 10 to No. 3.
  • Denver (DEN): Rose from No. 16 to No. 6.
  • Istanbul (IST): Climbed from No. 28 to No. 7.
  • New Delhi (DEL): Advanced from No. 17 to No. 9.
• The U.S. dominates with six airports in the top 20, while China saw three airports—Shanghai (PVG), Guangzhou (CAN), and Beijing (PEK)—return to the top 20 post-pandemic.
• Several major airports, including Atlanta (-2.2%), Chicago (-5.4%), Los Angeles (-13%), Paris (-7.7%), Singapore (-0.9%), Beijing (-32.6%), Amsterdam (-6.8%), and Bangkok (-4.9%), have not yet recovered to pre-Covid passenger levels.

The global aviation industry continues to rebound, with record-breaking passenger numbers in 2024, driven by strong demand and operational resilience despite ongoing challenges.