The World’s Busiest Airports Recently Announced

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Amy Sward
Travel News
The image depicts a UPS Airlines plane taking off from Anchorage International Airport. The plane is predominantly white with a black livery. In the background, prominent mountains with snow-capped peaks can be seen.

In total, close to 8.5 billion flyers took to the skies in 2023. That’s an increase of 27.2% over 2022, putting the numbers close to pre-pandemic levels. Domestically, passenger volume increased 20.2%, but international travel saw the real uptick in 2023. International travel was up 36.5% in 2023 compared to 2022, putting it at 90.4% of pre-pandemic levels.

Global air travel in 2023 was chiefly fueled by the international segment, propelled by several factors. Among these were the anticipated benefits from China’s reopening and a growing inclination towards travel despite macroeconomic conditions.”

Luis Felipe de Oliveira, ACI World’s director general

Of the top 10 busiest airports in the world, five of them are in the United States. But international airports are jumping higher on the list. For the first time, Dallas/Fort Worth lost its second-place spot to an international destination.

“Dubai International Airport jumped to second rank for the first time, while Tokyo Haneda International Airport witnessed a remarkable ascent from 16th position in 2022 to 5th in 2023,” says ACI. “Additionally, the unwavering strength of Istanbul and New Delhi airports keep them in top ranks, marking significant progress over 2019.” Denver, Chicago, and Los Angeles also all saw slides in 2023 as compared to 2022. 

The top 10 airports combined make up 10% of global airline passengers. The airports saw 806 million passengers: that’s a gain of 19.8% from 2022 and a gain of 0.7% over pre-pandemic numbers of 2019.

The rankings highlight the crucial role these transportation hubs play in global connectivity, commerce, and economic development,” says de Oliveira. “Airports continue to demonstrate their resilience and adaptability amidst the challenges posed by the ever-evolving landscape of global travel.”

Top 10 Busiest Airports

The image depicts a scene at an airport where many tourists are waiting in line to check in for their flights. The check-in area is busy, with multiple queues formed as passengers prepare to go through the check-in process. Travelers can be seen carrying luggage and personal belongings, indicative of the airport's bustling activity. The airport environment is characterized by its structured layout, with signage and staff assisting passengers with the check-in procedure. Overall, the image captures the typical experience of travelers at an airport as they navigate through the check-in process before their flights.
Atlanta remains the busiest.

Here are the top 10 busiest airports by passenger volume: (in relation to 2022)

  1. Atlanta, Georgia (ATL) with 104,653,451 passengers
  2. Dubai, UAE (DBX) with 86,994,365 passengers (up from 5th)
  3. Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas (DFW) with 81,755,538 passengers (down from 2nd)
  4. London, United Kingdom (LHR) with 79,183,364 passengers (up from 8th)
  5. Tokyo, Japan (HND) with 78,719,302 passengers (up from 16th)
  6. Denver, Colorado with 77,837,917 passengers (down from 3rd)
  7. Istanbul, Turkey (IST) with 76,027,321 passengers 
  8. Los Angeles, California (LAX) with 75,050,875 passengers (down from 6th)
  9. Chicago, Illinois (ORD) with 73,894,226 passengers (down from 4th)
  10. New Delhi, India (DEL) with 72,214,841 passengers (down from 9th)

Cargo Numbers

The image depicts the process of loading cargo onto a plane at an airport before a flight.
Cargo numbers dipped in 2023 due to global disruptions.

On the flipside, cargo numbers decreased year over year. Cargo movement was down 3.1% in 2023 as compared to 2022 and down 4.6% compared to pre-pandemic numbers in 2019.

“The decline can be attributed to the ongoing geopolitical tensions and disruptions to global trade and supply chains,” explains ACI. In total, 113 million metric tonnes of cargo was moved around the world in 2023 with Hong Kong maintaining its top spot for most cargo moved in a year. 

Top Cargo Airports

The image features Hong Kong International Airport with numerous cargo containers visible on its premises.
These are the top cargo airports moving millions of tonnes.

Here are the top cargo airports based on metric tonnes of cargo moved:

  1. Hong Kong (KKG) with 4,331,976 
  2. Memphis, Tennessee (MEM) with 3,881,211
  3. Shanghai, China (PVG) with 3,440,084
  4. Anchorage, Alaska (ANC) with 3,880,374
  5. Incheon, Korea (ICN) with 2,744,136
  6. Louisville, Kentucky (SDF) with 2,727,820
  7. Miami, Florida (MIA) with 2,525,591
  8. Doha, Qatar (DOH) with 2,355,503
  9. Los Angeles, California (LAX) with 2,130,835
  10. Taipei, Taiwan (TPE) with 2,112,988

About ACI

The image depicts a person holding a cellphone with the webpage of the organization Airports Council International (ACI) displayed in front of the ACI logo.
The Airline Council International advocates for global airport excellence and innovation.

ACI is a trade association with a mission to represent the best interests of airports during policy development. “ACI World remains dedicated to advocating for airports worldwide throughout pivotal stages of policy formulation and to advancing the pursuit of airport excellence,” the group explains on its website.

ACI’s mission is to ensure safety, security, efficiency, and environmental sustainability in our global transportation system. It serves in more than 2100 airports across the globe.