How the World's Busiest Airports Stack Up

how the world's busiest airports stack up

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Surging demand for international travel propelled some notable overseas airports up the list of the busiest hubs in 2023.

According to preliminary figures from Airports Council International (ACI), global airports served 8.5 billion passengers last year, which was up 27 percent from 2022 but about 6 percent below pre-pandemic marks.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport continues to be the world’s busiest, serving close to 104.7 million passengers last year. However, ATL was joined in the top five by Dubai International Airport—which climbed three spots to number two—London Heathrow (fourth) and Tokyo Haneda International Airport, which jumped 11 spots from 16th in 2022 to fifth in 2023.

ACI reported passenger traffic to Tokyo Haneda jumped 55 percent last year from 2022, with HND hosting more than 78.7 million travelers.

Istanbul Airport saw the largest percentage change from 2019 with a 45.7 percent increase to 76 million passengers in 2023.

In the U.S., Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport fell one spot to third while Denver International Airport dropped three spots to sixth despite seeing a 12 percent increase in passengers last year. Los Angeles International Airport and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport also fell multiple spots from 2022.

Here were the 10 busiest airports in the world in 2023:

  1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
  2. Dubai International Airport (DBX)
  3. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
  4. London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
  5. Tokyo Haneda International Airport (HND)
  6. Denver International Airport (DEN)
  7. Istanbul Airport (IST)
  8. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
  9. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
  10. New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL)
News Related

OTHER NEWS

Jimmy Carter and all living former first ladies to attend Rosalynn Carter’s memorial service

Former President Jimmy Carter is expected to attend the Tuesday memorial service for his late wife, Rosalynn Carter, in Atlanta, his grandson told CNN – a tribute that will also be ... Read more »

Rob Reiner to Film ‘This Is Spinal Tap' Sequel in February, Says Paul McCartney and Elton John Will Appear

Rob Reiner to Film ‘This Is Spinal Tap’ Sequel in February, Says Paul McCartney and Elton John Will Appear Forty years after making his directorial debut with the 1984 cult ... Read more »

Best Buy's Biggest Cyber Monday Deals on Samsung TVs, Sony Headphones, and Dyson Vacuums

Plus laptops and more last-minute deals you don’t want to miss People / Jaclyn Mastropasqua We have reached Cyber Monday is officially here, and there are loads of great deals ... Read more »

The Joffre Lakes surge returns north of Pemberton

The Joffre Lakes surge is back, much to the dismay of Pemberton and Mount Currie locals. Video footage shared with Pique shows a long line of cars illegally parked on ... Read more »

Activists calling for Gaza ceasefire begin hunger strike outside White House

Photograph: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images Leftwing activists including the actor Cynthia Nixon, famous for her role in Sex and the City, have begun a hunger strike outside the White House aimed ... Read more »

We just got a first look at McDonald's secretive new spinoff restaurant CosMc's

A construction site in Bolingbrook, Illinois, presumed to be the first location of CosMc’s. Scott Fredrickson McDonald’s has been reluctant to share many details about its planned new restaurant concept ... Read more »

Conor McGregor’s The Black Forge posts more than $2 million in losses since 2021 opening

Conor McGregor’s The Black Forge posts more than $2 million in losses since 2021 opening Conor McGregor made around a $2 million investment when he purchased the Dublin bar he ... Read more »
Top List in the World