Just announced: The busiest airports in the world in 2023
For the 25th time in 26 years, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) was named the world’s busiest airport.
The Georgia hub again took the top spot in Airports Council International’s annual rankings of the world’s busiest airports for 2023, according to data released by the organization Monday.
Atlanta led the way in total passengers enplaned and deplaned, as it has since the late 1990s with just one exception: In 2020, the airport fell to second place as unusual travel trends at the height of the coronavirus pandemic shook up the rankings.
“It is a testament to our global connectivity and an affirmation of our city’s place on the world stage,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said in a statement Monday.
Notably, global air traffic surged to nearly 94% of pre-pandemic levels last year, ACI’s report noted — a key step in the recovery from the pandemic, helped by a resurgence in international travel.
“Airports continue to demonstrate their resilience and adaptability amidst the challenges posed by the ever-evolving landscape of global travel,” ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira said in announcing the rankings.
What are the busiest airports in the world?
Here’s the full list of the top 10 busiest airports in the world for 2023.
| Rank | Airport | 2023 passengers | 2022 ranking | 2019 ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) | 104,653,451 | 1 | 1 |
2 | Dubai International Airport (DXB) | 86,994,365 | 5 | 4 |
3 | Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) | 81,755,538 | 2 | 10 |
4 | London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) | 79,183,364 | 8 | 7 |
5 | Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND) | 78,719,302 | 16 | 5 |
6 | Denver International Airport (DEN) | 77,837,917 | 3 | 16 |
7 | Istanbul Airport (IST) | 76,027,321 | 7 | 28 |
8 | Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) | 75,050,875 | 6 | 3 |
9 | Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) | 73,894,226 | 4 | 6 |
10 | Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) | 72,214,814 | 9 | 17 |
The rankings include a handful of U.S. airports (alongside Atlanta in the top position) — not to mention some noteworthy shifts.
Busiest international airports
Travel to Japan bounced back in a big way last year, bringing Tokyo’s Haneda back to its pre-pandemic spot as the world’s fifth-busiest airport.
London’s Heathrow was the fourth-busiest airport in the world, climbing from No. 8 in 2022.
Istanbul has seen perhaps the strongest growth in recent years. Before the pandemic, it was the 28th-busiest airport in the world. In 2023, it was the seventh-busiest airport. That airport’s home airline, Turkish Airlines, has been growing at a fast pace — including in the U.S., where it’s announced multiple new destinations in recent years, most recently Denver.
Though New Delhi fell from ninth place in 2022 to tenth in 2023, its four-year growth from 2019 is remarkable, amid that country’s fast population growth — and the corresponding growth of its commercial aviation sector.
Busiest airports in the US
ACI’s ranking of the world’s top 10 busiest airports included five airports in the U.S. Those are:
- Atlanta (first overall globally)
- Dallas Fort Worth (third)
- Denver (sixth)
- Los Angeles (eighth)
- Chicago’s O’Hare (ninth)
Atlanta retaining the top spot — both in the U.S. and in the world — comes despite enplanements and deplanements being down about 5% from pre-pandemic 2019.
But, it may get even stronger this year.
Delta Air Lines, which calls the airport home, recently noted its 2024 plans include a bigger emphasis on Atlanta and a few other “core hubs,” after spending recent years devoting resources to a rapid build-up at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, the strength Dallas Fort Worth and Denver have shown in recent years versus other top U.S. airports LAX and O’Hare continued in 2023.
Airlines in 2023 offered 9.7% more scheduled seats out of DFW over 2019, according to data TPG viewed from aviation analytics firm Cirium. The growth was even stronger out of Denver: 17%.
On the flip side, LAX and O’Hare both saw scheduled seats shrink by more than 13% over 2019 levels, Cirium data shows.
In 2019, LAX was the nation’s second-busiest airport, and the world’s third-busiest. O’Hare was fourth-busiest in the world as recently as 2022.
It’s worth noting that four of the top five busiest U.S. airports are hubs or focus cities for multiple airlines.
Atlanta is home base for Delta, and an operating base for Southwest Airlines — though Delta is by far the top carrier. Denver is a key United Airlines hub, and a Southwest base. LAX is a hub for each of the three largest U.S. carriers. O’Hare is home base for United, and a hub for American Airlines.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.