The 10 busiest airports in the world: Atlanta holds on to top spot yet again
For 26 out of 27 years, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) has been the world's busiest airport.
The Georgia airport, home base and megahub of Delta Air Lines, once again claimed the top spot in Airports Council International's annual rankings of the world's busiest airports in 2024.
ATL saw more than 108 million passengers in 2024 — a jump of just over 3% from 2023.
Its top ranking came as ACI reported a record-setting number of total airline passengers globally in 2024: close to 5 billion travelers. This number is up 9% over the prior year and up nearly 4% over prepandemic 2019 levels.
That all-time mark wasn't a huge surprise in the U.S., where each of the Transportation Security Administration's 10 busiest days at airport security checkpoints came in 2024. That included more than 3 million passengers traveling Dec. 1, 2024 — the busiest day ever at U.S. airports.
Following Atlanta in a distant second place was Dubai International Airport (DXB). The airport, home to Emirates, saw more than 92 million passengers in another runner-up year for the Persian Gulf hub.
Three other U.S. airports ranked among the world's 10 busiest, per ACI.
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) was third in the rankings, Denver International Airport (DEN) finished sixth and O'Hare International Airport (ORD) was eighth.
What is the busiest airport in the world?
Here's the full rundown of the world's 10 busiest airports:
| Rank | Airport | 2024 passengers | 2023 ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) | 108,067,766 | 1 |
2 | Dubai International Airport (DXB) | 92,331,506 | 2 |
3 | Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) | 87,817,864 | 3 |
4 | Haneda Airport (HND) | 85,900,617 | 5 |
5 | Heathrow Airport (LHR) | 83,884,572 | 4 |
6 | Denver International Airport (DEN) | 82,358,744 | 6 |
7 | Istanbul Airport (IST) | 80,073,252 | 7 |
8 | O'Hare International Airport (ORD) | 80,043,050 | 9 |
9 | Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) | 77,820,834 | 10 |
10 | Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) | 76,878,039 | 21 |
Much of the above list looked similar to the 2023 rankings but with some notable shifts.
The biggest change was Shanghai Pudong International Airport — it catapulted from the world's 21st-busiest airport in 2023 to a top-10 spot in 2024. Air travel to and from the region finally rebounded in a big way following the peak coronavirus pandemic.
Shanghai had been the world's eighth-busiest airport in 2019.
Meanwhile, a notable airport not listed among the world's 10 busiest was Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The airport came in at No. 8 in 2023 and had been ranked as the world's third-busiest airport just four years earlier.
More growth ahead for ORD
LAX had ranked ahead of ORD in 2023, but the Chicago airport — a hub for both United Airlines and American Airlines — leapfrogged the Southern California airport in 2024.
It's worth noting that ORD was on track to see more growth this year, with the total number of seats planned for this summer set to rise nearly 11% over last summer, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Busiest airports in America, ranked
Based on the above data, America's four busiest airports in 2024 were:
1. ATL
2. DFW
3. DEN
4. ORD
Looking ahead
In its report, ACI projected total global passenger boarding could rise nearly 5% more in 2025, which would mean another record-setting year.
However, looming uncertainty over travel demand could throw those projections into a state of flux.
ACI's 2024 air travel report also ranked the 10 busiest airports in the world for international passengers.
DXB took the top spot, followed by LHR. Incheon International Airport (ICN) in South Korea, Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) rounded out the top five.
No U.S. airport made the top 10 for international passengers.
A milestone for Atlanta
ATL's world ranking coincides with a milestone. The airport — just like its top airline Delta — is celebrating its 100th birthday this year.
It's home to perhaps the world's nicest American Express Centurion Lounge and a recently opened Delta Sky Club.
If you're stuck there on a layover, be sure to check out the newly renovated Delta Flight Museum, which is a short, five-minute ride from the terminals.
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