Global Airports Experience Surge in International Travel: Rankings Revealed

As global travel resumed, airports in Tokyo and London saw significant advancements in the rankings. While international travel restrictions prompted a surge in popularity for domestic U.S. airports during the pandemic, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport reclaimed its position as the world’s busiest airport, topping the list once again.

Last year witnessed a resurgence in international travel, propelling airports worldwide, including those in London and Tokyo, up the global ranking for passenger traffic. As per Airports Council International’s preliminary ranking released on Monday, Dubai International Airport surged to second place in 2023, a notable climb from its fifth-place position in 2022 and fourth place in 2019. Similarly, Tokyo Haneda International Airport experienced a remarkable 55% increase in passenger traffic compared to 2022, catapulting it to fifth place from its 16th position a year earlier.

Global airports served 8.5 billion passengers last year, up 27% from 2022 but still about 6% below pre-pandemic counts, ACI said, citing preliminary figures.

Nearly 78 million people used Denver International Airport last year, up 12% from 2022, but the airport, a major hub of United Airlines, fell in ACI’s ranking to sixth place from third.

After gathering data from over 2,600 airports in over 180 countries and territories, the No. 1 busiest airport in the world is still Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Atlanta has held down the top spot for over 20 years, thanks to high passenger volume and Delta Airlines being headquartered in the city, catering to over 104.6 million passengers this past year.
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