Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) has held onto its crown as the busiest airport in the world, with a staggering 104.6 million travelers passing through in 2023, according to Airports Council International.
As the demand for post-pandemic travel has picked up, ATL saw an 11.7% increase in the number of passengers served from last year. The market for domestic flights remains strong, but international travel has surged with 36.5% growth. In total, nearly 8.5 million traveled through airports in 2023, an increase of more than 25% over the previous year.
Dubai International Airport climbed its way up the list to come in second, serving nearly 89 million passengers in 2023. The previous runner-up, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport dropped to No. 3 with 81.7 million passengers. Four other U.S. cities made the top 10 list: Denver International Airport (No. 6), Los Angeles International Airport (No. 8) and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (No. 9).
ACI said that last year’s air travel was buoyed by the return of international travel, and London’s Heathrow Airport (No. 4), Tokyo Haneda Airport (No. 5), Istanbul Airport (No. 7) and Indira Gahndhi International Airport (No. 10) in India also made the top 10 list.
