Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (ATL) regained its title as the world's busiest airport, with 104.653.451 passengers traveling through the aviation hub in 2023.
The Airports Council International (ACI), which announced the results on April 14, 2024, said the total global passenger forecast for 2023 is approaching 8,5 billion, an increase of 27,2% from 2022.
Passenger numbers also returned to 93,8% of pre-Covid-19 levels, with international travel noted as a strong driver.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport (ATL), in first place
"Global air travel in 2023 was mainly fueled by the international segment, driven by several factors”, said ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira. "These included anticipated benefits from China's reopening and a growing propensity to travel despite macroeconomic conditions."
Dubai International Airport (DXB) climbed three places to become the second busiest airport in the world with nearly 87 million passengers, and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) handled 81 million, finishing third .
"While US airports continue to dominate the ranking of the world's busiest airports, especially with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport maintaining its leading position, there are also notable changes. Dubai International Airport rose to second position for the first time, while Tokyo Haneda International Airport saw a remarkable rise from 16th in 2022 to 5th in 2023”, added Felipe de Oliveira.
London Heathrow Airport (LHR) was in fourth place with 79 million passengers. The other airports that made the top ten were Denver (DEN), Istanbul (IST), Los Angeles (LAX), Chicago (ORD) and New Delhi (DEL).
Looking at international passenger numbers alone, Dubai International Airport (DXB) ranked first with 86 million, followed by London Heathrow International Airport with 74 million and Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport (AMS) with 61 million.
The top 10 airports represent almost 10% of global traffic (806 million passengers). They saw a 19,8% increase over 2022 or a 0,7% increase over their 2019 results (801 million pax in 2019).