
Every airport can feel like the busiest place on Earth when you're weaving through crowds to make it to your gate.
However, if you're in Atlanta, you're truly at the world’s busiest airport—at least in terms of passenger volume. A recent Airports Council International (ACI) report reveals that nearly 93.7 million people flew through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in 2022, leaving its closest competitor, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, in the dust with a 20 million-passenger gap.
Five out of the top 10 busiest airports are in the U.S. Denver International and Chicago O’Hare International secured third and fourth places, while Los Angeles International ranked sixth. As CNN notes, this is mainly because domestic travel rebounded faster from the pandemic than international flights. Around 75-95% of all traffic at these five airports is domestic.
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(When considering only international traffic, the U.S. is absent from the top list. Dubai International Airport took the lead, followed by London Heathrow Airport, both of which also ranked among the overall top 10.)
While passenger numbers at all airports, except for one (Denver), are still below pre-pandemic figures, recovery is clearly underway. All 10 airports saw notable increases over the past year—especially London, which experienced a staggering 217.7% surge in traffic compared to 2021.
Check out which other airports made the top 10 list below, and delve into more insights from ACI’s report here.
Ranking | Airport | Country | Passengers |
---|---|---|---|
1. | Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport | United States | 93,699,630 |
2. | Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport | United States | 73,362,946 |
3. | Denver International Airport | United States | 69,286,461 |
4. | Chicago O'Hare International Airport | United States | 68,340,619 |
5. | Dubai International Airport | United Arab Emirates | 66,069,981 |
6. | Los Angeles International Airport | United States | 65,924,298 |
7. | Istanbul Airport | Turkey | 64,289,107 |
8. | London Heathrow Airport | United Kingdom | 61,614,508 |
9. | Delhi Airport a.k.a. Indira Gandhi International Airport | India | 59,490,074 |
10. | Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport | France | 57,474,033 |