Air traffic is officially back, according to new research from Airports Council International. It finds that in 2024, global passenger numbers finally beat 2019 levels, after years of disruption from the pandemic.
- Last year, there were around 9.5-billion people flying worldwide, that’s 3.8% more than in 2019 and 9% more than 2023.
- The latest report from Airports Council International (ACI), which represents 2,181 airports in 170 countries, also reveals that the world’s busiest airport is once again Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
- Georgia’s capital city has been number one for 26 of the last 27 years, only falling from first place once in 2020, when fewer people were flying because of Covid.
- The second-busiest airport in the world is Dubai International Airport, holding onto the number two spot it got in 2023 for the first time.
- According to the report, Atlanta’s airport served about 108-million passengers in 2024.
- That’s up 3.3% from 2023, but still around 2% below its 2019 total.
The World’s Top 10 Busiest Airports
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (ATL)
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates (DBX)
- Dallas Fort Worth, Texas (DFW)
- Tokyo Haneda, Japan (HND)
- London Heathrow, United Kingdom (LHR)
- Denver, Colorado (DEN)
- Istanbul, Turkey (IST)
- Chicago O’Hare, Chicago (ORD)
- New Delhi, India (DEL)
- Shanghai Pudong, China (PVG)
Source: CNN