Air travel ground to a halt during the pandemic a few short years ago, but it’s safe to say that it has come roaring back. In 2024, a record-setting 9.5 billion travelers took to the skies — 3.8% more than in 2019, surpassing pre-pandemic levels for the first time. The world’s 10 busiest airports were responsible for 855 million of those passengers. Here’s how Airports Council International’s 2024 ranking of the busiest airports in the world breaks down.
10. Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) – China
Passengers in 2024: 76.8 million
Go ahead and give Shanghai’s Pudong Airport the award for “most improved.” The busy international hub saw a 41% increase in traffic compared with 2023 levels, helping to fuel China’s post-pandemic air travel recovery. And Pudong isn’t even the only airport in Shanghai. Also serving one of China’s biggest cities is Hongqiao Airport, which primarily sees domestic and regional flights.
9. Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) – India
Passengers in 2024: 77.8 million
India’s busiest airport saw over 13% more passenger traffic in 2024 compared with pre-pandemic levels. The airport, named after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, opened a fourth runway in 2023 to handle booming demand for those visiting one of the world’s most populous metro areas.
8. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) – Illinois
Passengers in 2024: 80 million
No major commercial airport has more runways than O’Hare, which allows the Chicago airport to handle a whopping 80 million passengers each year. O’Hare is a major hub for both American and United Airlines, while Southwest Airlines welcomes even more passengers to the Windy City from Midway Airport on the other side of town.
7. Istanbul Airport (IST) – Turkey
Passengers in 2024: 80.1 million
Istanbul’s state-of-the-art airport opened in 2018, replacing the smaller, outdated Atatürk Airport and giving the city a much-needed boost in capacity. Not only is Istanbul Airport one of the world’s busiest airports, but it’s also the most-connected airport in the world, according to an analysis from CNN. Passengers can fly nonstop to more than 300 destinations around the globe.
6. Denver International Airport (DEN) – Colorado
Passengers in 2024: 82.4 million
Denver International Airport shows no signs of slowing down. As one of America’s fastest-growing airports, it recorded 19.3% higher passenger numbers in 2024 versus 2019. The airport has become United Airlines’ busiest hub, and the airline has invested over $1 billion to expand its footprint there even further. Southwest also operates a major hub at DIA, which is the largest airport in North America by land area.
5. London Heathrow Airport (LHR) – United Kingdom
Passengers in 2024: 83.9 million
Europe’s busiest airline hub was Heathrow Airport, one of six major airports serving the London region, along with others including Gatwick and Stansted. However, Heathrow has only two runways, which operate at an estimated 98% of their capacity, leading to heavy slot restrictions. A new third runway has been long rumored, but don’t expect it to be built anytime soon.
4. Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) – Japan
Passengers in 2024: 85.9 million
Haneda, Japan’s busiest airport, is also slot-controlled due to its limited capacity, but Tokyo has another major hub to handle Japan’s booming tourism demand at Narita Airport. However, Haneda is often considered the preferred airport, especially for business travelers, as it’s located closer to the city.
3. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) – Texas
Passengers in 2024: 87.8 million
The largest hub for American Airlines is also the second-busiest airport in the United States. Dallas/Fort Worth saw 17% more passengers in 2024 compared with 2019. American flies to nearly 250 destinations around the globe from Dallas, and you can even fly nonstop to Australia on American’s partner airline, Qantas, a route that takes over 17 hours.
2. Dubai International Airport (DXB) – United Arab Emirates
Passengers in 2024: 92.3 million
Emirates is one of the world’s largest airlines. The airline has turned its home base at Dubai International Airport into a mega hub, offering convenient connections to 85 countries on six continents. Though Dubai International landed at No. 2 on the busiest airports ranking in 2024, a $35 billion project is in the works to replace it with a brand-new airfield, Al Maktoum International Airport, which is set to become the world’s largest airport when it opens by 2034.
1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) – Georgia
Passengers in 2024: 108.1 million
If you’ve flown somewhere in the U.S. in the past few decades, there’s a high likelihood you flew through Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. The Atlanta megahub has ranked as the busiest airport in the world for 26 out of the past 27 years and was the only airport on this list to break the 100 million passenger count. The airport’s hometown carrier, Delta, operates over 1,000 daily flights to more than 200 destinations around the globe.
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