Step aside Schiphol, look out LHR, fuggedaboutit about it Frankfurt – the world’s busiest airport is Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The American facility topped all competitors in capacity (both domestic and international) with 62.7 million seats in 2024.
According to leading global travel industry platform OAG, its annual ranking of the world’s busiest airports reported that ATL capacity increased by 2% compared to 2023 but is still just below 2019 levels by 1%. It led its next closest competitor by about 2.5 million seats.
Following Atlanta, the rest of the world’s top 10 busiest airports were:
- Dubai
- Tokyo Haneda
- London Heathrow
- Dallas
- Denver
- Guangzhou, China
- Istanbul
- Shanghai
- Chicago O’Hare
Based strictly on international travel, a different list emerges: Dubai, Heathrow, Seoul, Singapore, Amsterdam, Istanbul, Paris CDG, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Doha.
Among the report’s key findings:
- Four of the busiest airports are in North America, three are in Asia, two are in Europe and one in the Middle East.
- Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) leads with an impressive 29% year-on-year capacity growth, the highest among the Top 10.
- New entrants to the Top 10 Since 2019: Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW), Denver International Airport (DEN), Guangzhou Baiyun Airport (CAN) and Istanbul Airport (IST).
Other key trends include:
- Capacity recovery: Airports like Shanghai Pudong (PVG) and Seoul Incheon (ICN) are experiencing rapid post-pandemic recovery, benefiting from increased demand and easing restrictions.
- North America’s expansion: Strong growth from DFW and DEN highlights shifting dynamics in global air travel hubs.
- Middle East dominance: Dubai (DXB) remains a dominant player, leading the world in international capacity.
“With growth across all regions of the world, the 10 busiest airports once again reflect the strong recovery in the aviation sector in the last two years,” commented OAG’s Chief Analyst, John Grant. “From the successes in Dallas Ft Worth and Guangzhou to the more recent rapid recovery in capacity at Shanghai Pudong, airlines continue to power ahead with new routes and services despite the supply chain challenges of the post pandemic world.”
Full rankings and methodology can be found on OAG’s website at https://www.oag.com/busiest-airports-world-2024
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