Airports serve as critical gateways, connecting diverse geographies and cultures, facilitating commerce, and embodying our shared desire to explore new horizons. Unsurprisingly, airport passenger traffic data is a reliable barometer of global mobility and economic activity. Examining the world's busiest airports, quantified by the total yearly passengers using data from Airports Council International, offers an insightful lens into the ebb and flow of global travel. This count includes travelers boarding (enplaned), travelers disembarking (deplaned), and those transiting through these international aviation hubs.
When considering any airport's total yearly passengers, the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International airport leads the pack with a colossal 93.7M passengers in a year. This reaffirms its longstanding status as the world's busiest airport, a mark of high passenger mobility it has held since 1998, with an exception in 2020 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Next on the list is Dallas/Fort Worth International, welcoming 73.4M travelers in a year, another notable example of the United States' dominance in airport passenger traffic. Denver International and Chicago O'Hare International follow closely with 69.3M and 68.3M passengers, respectively. Positioned as the fifth busiest airport in the world and the busiest outside the United States, Dubai International served 66.1M passengers in one year, underlining its function as a vital connecting node for global long-haul flights. Los Angeles International, closely following Dubai, managed to serve 65.9M passengers annually, attesting to the airport's vital role in connecting the US with the world. Among the top ten busiest airports, Turkey's Istanbul Airport stands out, serving a formidable 64.3M passengers, reflecting the country's strategic location as a significant global aviation hub. Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom's primary international airport, falls next in line with 61.6M passengers, solidifying its status as a crucial junction for international air travel. India’s Indira Gandhi International Airport catered to 59.5M passengers, supporting its rank in the top ten, while wrapping up the list is France's Charles de Gaulle Airport, handling 57.5M passengers annually. 10 Busiest Airports in the World:
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
50.6M
#15
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
52.5M
#13
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
31.2M
#40
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
30.5M
#43
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
57.5M
#10
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
47.8M
#19
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
38.3M
#28
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
68.3M
#4
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
73.4M
#2
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
69.3M
#3
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
66.1M
#5
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
35.4M
#32
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
31.7M
#37
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
48.9M
#18
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
41.0M
#26
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
35.7M
#31
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
52.7M
#12
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
93.7M
#1
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
61.6M
#8
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
59.5M
#9
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
64.3M
#7
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
30.8M
#41
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
29.7M
#45
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
55.3M
#11
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
41.6M
#25
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
31.6M
#38
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
29.0M
#49
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
36.1M
#30
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
32.8M
#35
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
65.9M
#6
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
46.3M
#20
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
50.7M
#14
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
30.6M
#42
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
31.6M
#39
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
43.6M
#23
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
30.3M
#44
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
50.2M
#17
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
29.2M
#47
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
44.4M
#22
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
29.3M
#46
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
42.2M
#24
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
34.5M
#33
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
46.0M
#21
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
32.2M
#36
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
38.8M
#27
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
28.8M
#50
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
29.1M
#48
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
34.3M
#34
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
50.3M
#16
Metric
Value
Rank
Total Passengers
36.4M
#29
Region ↕ | Total Passengers ↕ |
---|---|
Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport | 50.6M |
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol | 52.5M |
Antalya Airport | 31.2M |
Cancún International Airport | 30.5M |
Charles de Gaulle Airport | 57.5M |
Charlotte Douglas International | 47.8M |
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport | 38.3M |
Chicago O'Hare International | 68.3M |
Dallas/Fort Worth International | 73.4M |
Denver International | 69.3M |
Dubai International | 66.1M |
El Dorado International Airport | 35.4M |
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International | 31.7M |
Frankfurt Airport | 48.9M |
George Bush Intercontinental/Houston | 41.0M |
Hamad International Airport | 35.7M |
Harry Reid International | 52.7M |
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International | 93.7M |
Heathrow Airport | 61.6M |
Indira Gandhi International Airport | 59.5M |
Istanbul Airport | 64.3M |
Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport | 30.8M |
Jeju International Airport | 29.7M |
John F. Kennedy International | 55.3M |
Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport | 41.6M |
King Abdulaziz International Airport | 31.6M |
LaGuardia | 29.0M |
Logan International | 36.1M |
London Gatwick Airport | 32.8M |
Los Angeles International | 65.9M |
Mexico City International Airport | 46.3M |
Miami International | 50.7M |
Minneapolis-St Paul International | 30.6M |
Munich Airport | 31.6M |
Newark Liberty International | 43.6M |
Ninoy Aquino International Airport | 30.3M |
Orlando International | 50.2M |
Orly Airport | 29.2M |
Phoenix Sky Harbor International | 44.4M |
Rome–Fiumicino International Airport "Leonardo da Vinci" | 29.3M |
San Francisco International | 42.2M |
São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport | 34.5M |
Seattle/Tacoma International | 46.0M |
Singapore Changi Airport | 32.2M |
Soekarno–Hatta International Airport | 38.8M |
Suvarnabhumi Airport | 28.8M |
Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport | 29.1M |
Tan Son Nhat International Airport | 34.3M |
Tokyo Haneda Airport | 50.3M |
Toronto Pearson International Airport | 36.4M |