Atl Remains World’S Busiest Airport

In its annual ranking of the world’s busiest airports, OAG revealed that in 2024, four of the busiest airports were in North America, three in Asia, two in Europe and one in the Middle East. The greatest increase in capacity was shown by Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), which recorded 29% year-on-year growth.

ATL continues to lead as the world’s busiest global (international and domestic capacity) airport with 62.7 million seats. Capacity at ATL has increased by 2% compared to 2023 but is still 1% below 2019 levels.

Dubai International Airport (DXB) is second busiest and also the leader in international capacity, increasing seats by 7% year-on-year to 6.2 million. Tokyo Haneda (HND) is in third place, with 55.2 million seats, a 5% increase on 2023, followed by London Heathrow (LHR).

Heathrow had 51.5M seats and is the busiest airport in Europe, followed by Istanbul (IST) and Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG).

In the US, Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) and Denver International (DEN) have boosted their capacities by 18% and 24% respectively, putting them in fifth and sixth places.

China’s Guangzhou Baiyun International (CAN) and Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) take seventh and ninth positions, as China’s air capacity continues to recover from the impacts of the global pandemic. PVG is the fastest growing Top 10 airport, its capacity growth of 29% propelling it from 15th to 9th position over the year.

Istanbul Airport (IST) moves up to eighth place, reflecting its growing importance as a global hub.

OAG chief analyst John Grant said of the findings: “With growth across all regions of the world, the ten busiest airports once again reflect the strong recovery in the aviation sector in the last two years. From the successes in Dallas Ft Worth and Guangzhou to the more recent rapid recovery in capacity at Shanghai Pudong, airlines continue to power ahead with new routes and services despite the supply chain challenges of the post pandemic world.”