The World’s 10 Busiest Airports Have Just Been Announced – It Seems That Air Traffic Is Back

You know, I have some good news for you. No, it’s really good news, which is especially important in this crazy and constantly changing world of today. In recent years, when talking about global tourism, we have invariably mentioned that the volume of passenger traffic around the world hasn’t yet reached pre-pandemic levels. But now, the wait is officially over!

Indeed, the volume of passenger traffic by the end of 2024 exceeded the pre-COVID 2019 figures for the first time – albeit by a quite humble 3.8%. According to the Airports Council International’s (ACI) annual figures, global passenger traffic has finally recovered and is gaining momentum. And ACI data also gives Atlanta residents another reason to be proud of their city.

More info: ACI

In 2024, according to official data, passenger traffic worldwide finally surpassed pre-pandemic 2019 levels by 3.8%

Image credits: Pim de Boer / Unsplash (not the actual image)

Atlanta is the busiest airport in the whole world in terms of passenger flow for the 26th time in 27 years

In the 21st century, the combination of the words “Atlanta” and “competition” gave locals more reasons to be sad – the victory in the 2021 baseball World Series and Super Bowl XXXIII, which is probably better not to remember at all. However, Atlanta definitely dominates in the annual rankings of the world’s busiest airports by ACI.

Busiest airport with numerous airplanes connected to gates on an expansive tarmac scene.

Image credits: redlegsfan21 / Flicker

Since 1998, when these rankings began to be calculated, Atlanta, or more precisely, Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, has only once failed to take first place. Of course, that was 2020, when pandemic restrictions brought down the flow of passengers so much that Atlanta lost its lead to China’s Guangzhou. But the following year, the Georgia capital returned to its usual top spot.

Aerial view of a busy airport, highlighting runways and terminals, representing one of 2024's top 10 busiest airports.

Image credits: Umair Shaikh / Flicker

How is this ranking actually calculated? Well, very simple – it’s defined as passengers enplaned plus passengers deplaned plus direct-transit passengers. As a result, Atlanta’s advantageous position at the very intersection of many North American air routes, as well as its status as a hub for Delta Airlines, regularly brings Hartsfield–Jackson to the very top.

Aerial view of one of the busiest airports in 2024, showcasing extensive runways and terminals.

Image credits: Todd MacDonald / Flicker

There are four American airports in the top 10 busiest ones worldwide

ACI calculates the Top 50 of the busiest airports, and Atlanta is the only airport that has exceeded the 100M passenger mark (108M in 2024). There are three other American airports in the top ten: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is third, Denver International Airport is sixth, and O’Hare International Airport (Chicago) sits seventh.

Aerial view of one of the 2024 busiest airports with multiple planes on the runway.

Image credits: MaedaAkihiko / Wikimedia

Overall, the Top 10 airports in the world by the end of 2024 are as follows:

1. Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (Atlanta, USA) – 108M passengers
2. Dubai International Airport (Dubai, UAE) – 92.3
3. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (Dallas–Fort Worth, USA) – 87.8
4. Tokyo Haneda Airport (Tokyo, Japan) – 85.0
5. Heathrow Airport (London, UK) – 83.9
6. Denver International Airport (Denver, USA) – 82.4
7. O’Hare International Airport (Chicago, USA) – 80.0
8. Istanbul Airport (Istanbul, Turkey) – 79.9
9. Indira Gandhi International Airport (New Delhi, India) – 77.8
10. Shanghai Pudong International Airport (Shanghai, China) – 76.8

Bustling scene inside one of 2024's top 10 busiest airports, featuring travelers seated and moving through the terminal.

Image credits: Orderinchaos / Wikimedia

If we consider the entire Top 50, the United States holds the lead with 15 airports (last year, however, there were 16). In second place is China with 11 (10 in 2023), while India and Spain have 2 respectively. All other countries present in the Top 50 have only one airport in the list, even if it’s as huge as London Heathrow.

Busiest airport in 2024 with a control tower and a plane on the tarmac under cloudy skies.

Image credits: Bmurphy380 / Wikimedia

City-wise, London, with its six airports, has the biggest passenger traffic in the world

However, ASI also calculates passenger traffic statistics by city, and London is already beyond competition. Six airports of the British capital bring it a confident lead, ahead of New York (5 airports) and Istanbul (2 airports). The only city in the Top 10 there represented by only one airport is, as you probably already guessed, Atlanta…

Aerial view of a busy airport terminal, highlighting air traffic activity.

Image credits: Kulttuurinavigaattori / Wikimedia

By the way, another interesting data—if you take the Top 10 airports in the world by international passengers, there won’t be a single American airport here. Dubai is in first place with 92.3M passengers, followed by London (Heathrow) with 79.1M and South Korean Incheon with 70.7 M. As we can see, these are mainly transit airports, which are actually confirmed by the fourth and fifth places: Singapore and Amsterdam, respectively.

Passengers walking through a colorful airport terminal with moving walkways.

Image credits: Scarlet Sappho / Flicker

As to the cargo transportation, the world’s busiest airports are in Hong Kong and Shanghai

Among cargo transportation, three American airports are in the top five, and the cities represented here are completely different. Memphis, Anchorage, and Louisville, respectively, are in third, fourth, and fifth places. The leadership, and the undisputed one, here belongs to China – Hong Kong and Shanghai occupy the first and the second places.

Busy airport terminal with travelers, highlighting the resurgence of air traffic and global travel in 2024.

Image credits: Bharatahs / WIkimedia

Well, if you are interested in development forecasts, then ACI estimates the prospects for growth in passenger transportation in 2025 to 9.9B passengers, which means a 4.8% year-over-year growth rate. At the same time, as the official ACI website notes, “while passenger demand remains strong, the pace of expansion is expected to slow as markets shift from recovery-driven surges to structural, long-term growth patterns.”

Aerial view of a busy airport, showcasing runways and terminals, highlighting the resurgence of air traffic.

Image credits: User:Yuezhi_Huang

Given the era of economic turbulence that the world has entered this decade, we don’t know for sure whether these optimistic forecasts will come true. The only thing we can be sure of is that when the 2025 report comes out, Atlanta will be back atop—at least, unless the rivals hire Bill Belichick and Tom Brady to let them blow the lead again.

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