Top 12 Busiest Airports In The World Ever
Air travel has become an integral part of modern life. As the world becomes more interconnected, the number of people traveling by air continues to grow each year. Some airports handle flights from all over the globe, making them incredibly busy transport hubs. This article will explore the 12 busiest airports in the world based on total passenger traffic. Understanding which airports handle the most travellers provides insight into major travel patterns and aviation trends.
The world’s busiest airports serve as major international gateways to their host countries. They connect travellers to key global business centres and tourist destinations. The amount of traffic an airport handles reflects its importance in the global air transportation network. While the list of the world’s busiest airports changes slightly year-to-year, the same mammoth hubs typically top the ranks.
The airports on this list are ranked by total passenger traffic, which includes arrivals and departures. This encompasses international and domestic flights. The figures are from the Airports Council International’s World Airport Traffic Report, which collects data from airports around the globe each year. The airports below are ordered from 12th to 1st by total passenger traffic.
12. Tokyo Haneda International Airport – 90 million passengers
Tokyo Haneda Airport is one of two major airports that serve the extensive Tokyo region. It ranks as the 12th busiest airport in the world, with just over 90 million travellers passing through in 2021. The airport has decreased traffic compared to pre-pandemic levels but remains a critical hub for domestic flights and some regional international routes.
Haneda Airport is located closer to central Tokyo than Narita, which is the city’s other main airport. It has an extensive domestic network across Japan and offers flights to major East Asian hubs like Seoul, Shanghai, and Taipei. The airport has convenient access to downtown Tokyo, making it popular with business travellers. Its location near the city centre also makes it a preferred airport for those flying into Tokyo.
11. London Heathrow Airport – 80 million passengers
London Heathrow Airport is the busiest airport in Europe and the 11th busiest in the world overall. Almost 80 million passengers travelled through this airport in 2021. As the major international gateway to the United Kingdom, Heathrow serves as a critical hub for travel and trade.
Heathrow offers flights to over 204 destinations in 84 countries. It has extensive routes across Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa. As London’s biggest airport, it serves as the base for the country’s flagship carrier British Airways. The airport has five terminals and three runways handling flights for the world’s leading airlines.
Despite the impact of Brexit and the pandemic, Heathrow remains a premier global transit hub. The airport aims to continue increasing capacity through infrastructure projects to cement its role as London’s main connection to worldwide travel and business.
10. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport – 80 million passengers
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport ranks 10th among the world’s busiest passenger airports. Around 80 million people travelled through this airport in 2021, which serves the city of Guangzhou in Southern China. As one of China’s largest aviation gateways, it is a critical hub for the region and the country.
Guangzhou Baiyun primarily handles domestic flights connecting to major Chinese cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. It also offers an extensive range of international routes to Asia, Europe, North America and Australia. The airport serves as the base for China Southern Airlines, the country’s largest airline.
Guangzhou is a major manufacturing and export centre. Its airport links Chinese goods to the global market. Baiyun continues to expand its facilities, with a new concourse added in 2021, to meet the still-growing demand for air travel to and from this dynamic region of China.
9. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport – 78 million passengers
The Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) handles nearly 78 million passengers annually, making it the 9th busiest airport worldwide. Located between Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, it serves as a major hub for American Airlines. The airline operates around 90% of flights from DFW.
DFW offers non-stop service to 250 destinations including extensive domestic routes and international service to cities in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. It ranks as one of the busiest airports in the United States. The sprawling airport covers over 27 square miles, making it larger than the island of Manhattan.
Key factors driving traffic growth at DFW include its central geographic location in the U.S., its role as a gateway between North America and international destinations, and the large presence of American Airlines’ operations. As demand for air travel continues rising, DFW aims to add more capacity to maintain its position among the world’s premier airports.
8. Hong Kong International Airport – 71 million passengers
Hong Kong International Airport is a critical aviation hub located on an artificial island off the coast of Hong Kong. With about 71 million travellers served in 2021, it ranks as the 8th busiest airport globally. This passenger count is around half of pre-pandemic levels but highlights Hong Kong’s enduring importance to international air travel.
The airport offers connections to around 220 destinations throughout the world. It serves as the main hub for Cathay Pacific and handles an array of carriers connecting passengers between Asia and other continents. The airport features efficient services including a fast automated people mover system to reach gates.
Hong Kong International Airport has frequently ranked among the world’s top airports for quality and services. Its ultramodern facilities can accommodate future growth, cementing its status as a leading global transit hub. The airport continues working to increase route offerings as travel ramps up across Asia and worldwide.
7. Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport – 72 million passengers
Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport is located in the Sichuan province of Southwest China. It handled approximately 72 million passengers in 2021 making it the 7th busiest airport in the world. The airport serves the city of Chengdu which is a major economic centre and cultural hub.
As a key domestic hub, Shuangliu Airport connects travellers to cities across China. It also offers a growing number of international routes to Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America. Shuangliu serves as a base for Sichuan Airlines and several other Chinese carriers. A second airport for Chengdu is under construction to help accommodate the city’s substantial air traffic growth.
The continued increase in passengers using Shuangliu Airport reflects Chengdu’s rising prominence as a destination for tourists and business travellers. It has emerged as one of the most important aviation gateways in China’s rapidly developing interior.
6. Chicago O’Hare International Airport – 84 million passengers
Chicago O’Hare International Airport takes 6th place among the world’s busiest airports with approximately 84 million passengers passing through in 2021. Located just outside Chicago, Illinois, it serves as a major hub for both United Airlines and American Airlines.
O’Hare offers flights to over 210 destinations in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. As one of the most connected airports globally, it operates over 30,000 flights per month. The airport connects travellers to major business and tourism centres across the United States and worldwide.
Its convenient location in the Midwest of the U.S. enables short connecting times to many cities throughout the country. Ongoing modernisation and expansion projects aim to increase O’Hare’s capacity to over 100 million passengers to meet future demand and maintain its stature among the world’s busiest aviation gateways.
5. Los Angeles International Airport – 72 million passengers
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) handles around 72 million passengers annually, ranking as the 5th busiest airport in the world. Serving as a major West Coast hub, it connects travellers to LA and Southern California, a key cultural and economic region. LAX offers direct flights to over 95 domestic cities and over 1,000 weekly nonstop flights to Asia, Europe, Oceania, Canada and Mexico.
The airport serves as a hub for Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. Its extensive domestic network provides connectivity to cities throughout the U.S. while its international routes link LA to major global destinations. Ongoing modernisation plans aim to improve LAX facilities and technology to meet substantial future passenger growth.
LAX reflects Los Angeles’ prominence as a global city and centre for business, tourism, and entertainment. The airport’s continued expansion will ensure it maintains a leading role as both a domestic and international aviation gateway.
4. Charles de Gaulle Airport – 72 million passengers
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport ranks as the 4th busiest airport in the world with 72 million passengers handled in 2021. As the largest airport in France, it serves as a major international transit hub and the main gateway to the city of Paris.
Charles de Gaulle offers flights to over 230 destinations in more than 90 countries. It serves as a hub for Air France and other major carriers linking Paris to destinations across Europe and worldwide. The airport features three terminals and interconnecting satellites to handle arriving and departing aircraft.
High-speed rail links connect Charles de Gaulle Airport to central Paris in under 30 minutes. The airport’s extensive capabilities and infrastructure enable it to process over 1,200 flights per day. Charles de Gaulle will continue playing a pivotal role as Paris receives more global travellers each year.
3. Denver International Airport – 77 million passengers
Ranking as the 3rd busiest airport worldwide, Denver International Airport serves around 77 million passengers annually. Located in Denver, Colorado, it has the largest airport site footprint globally, spanning 33,000 acres. Denver Airport offers non-stop daily flights to more than 200 destinations in North America, Europe, and Asia.
As the primary airport serving Colorado, it connects the state to key destinations across the U.S. and around the world. Denver also functions as one of the major hubs for United Airlines. The airline operates one of its largest operations at the airport. Development projects at Denver Airport aim to increase capacity to over 100 million passengers per year.
Denver’s location in the central U.S. has helped establish it as an important connecting hub for traffic across the country and internationally. Ongoing expansions will enable Denver International Airport to accommodate its rapid growth in passenger traffic.
2. Dubai International Airport – 67 million passengers
Dubai International Airport ranks as the 2nd busiest airport worldwide, serving 67 million travellers in 2021. This passenger traffic is just slightly behind pre-pandemic levels, showcasing Dubai’s significance as a global transit hub. The airport connects travellers from around the world with the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
Emirates Airline, ranked as the world’s largest international carrier, is based at Dubai International Airport. From its Dubai hub, Emirates offers an extensive long-haul network to over 150 global destinations. The airport features two terminals, extensive duty-free shopping and other amenities for travellers.
Ongoing expansions at Dubai International Airport will boost its capacity to handle over 100 million passengers per year. With activity rebounding after COVID slowdowns, the airport is on track to continuing growing and maintaining its position among the world’s premier travel hubs.
1. Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport – 75 million passengers
The busiest airport in the world is Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport with around 75 million annual passengers. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, it has held the ranking of the world’s busiest airport by passenger traffic for over two decades. Hartsfield-Jackson serves as a major hub for Delta Air Lines and offers flights to destinations in over 150 countries.
The airport features 7 concourses with a total of 209 gates. Its domestic network provides direct flights to over 155 U.S. cities. The airport also offers extensive international service to cities in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. An automated people mover system transports passengers between concourses and gates.
Hartsfield-Jackson Airport supports over 63,000 local jobs. It generates over $34 billion in economic activity for the Metro Atlanta region annually. Continued enhancements to infrastructure and services will enable the airport to maintain its status as the busiest travel gateway on Earth in future years.
Conclusion
The world’s busiest airports provide major hubs facilitating the movement of people and goods worldwide. They support global business activity and help drive local economic impacts. As passenger volumes continue increasing globally, the top airports must balance growth with operational efficiency and amenities to remain leaders in their regions.
The airports on this list represent the premier aviation gateways across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Tracking their passenger traffic offers perspective on surges in worldwide travel and economic trends. With expansions and new technology, these busiest airports aim to keep pace with aviation’s growth into the future. Their interconnected roles will continue driving development of the global air transportation network.