The World's 10 Busiest Airports



Here are the 10 busiest airports in the world, ranked by the annual number of passengers served in 2019, the latest available data.

10) Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport:

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport also known as DFW Airport,[2] is the primary international airport serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex area in the U.S. state of Texas. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, sitting at number 10 right now with almost 75 million annual travelers. As of January 2020, DFW Airport has service to 260 destinations, including 67 international and 193 domestic destinations within the U.S. In surpassing 200 destinations, DFW joined a small group of airports worldwide with that distinction. It is the largest hub for American Airlines, which is headquartered near the airport. It is the third busiest airport in the world by aircraft movements, the tenth busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic in 2019.



9) Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG):

Named for the former French general and president, Charles de Gaulle Airport was completed in 1974 and has been the second-busiest airport in Europe for many years, sitting at number 9 right now with almost 76 million annual travelers. Terminal 1 is known for its unique rotunda design, encircled by seven satellite buildings. The airport serves as the principal hub to Air France and is a major European hub for Delta Air Lines.



8) Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG):

Shanghai Pudong is one of two airports in the major Chinese city. Pudong focuses mainly on international flights, while Shanghai Hongqiao International serves more domestic and regional flights. Shanghai Pudong International Airport, sitting at number 8 right now with almost 76.1 million annual travelers. Pudong is a fast-growing hub, increasing capacity by 5.7 percent year-over-year, and is the number two airport for total international air freight traffic, with nearly 3 million metrics tonnes of freight loaded and unloaded in 2018.



7) London Heathrow Airport (LHR):

For years, London Heathrow was the world’s busiest airport in terms of international passenger traffic. Serving 185 destinations in 84 countries, the British airport has a high rate of foreign travelers. The Airport, sitting at number 7 right now with almost 80.8 million annual travelers. The airport has six terminals, but only five are open to the public. The sixth terminal is very small and only used for royals, heads of states, and some celebrities.



6) O’Hare International Airport (ORD):

Since opening in 1955, Chicago O’Hare has consistently been one of the busiest passenger hubs in the world. In terms of takeoffs and landings, rather than the number of passengers, it is the busiest airport in the world with the most aircraft movements. O’Hare International Airport, sitting at number 6 right now with almost 84.3 million annual travelers. It serves close to 40 different airlines and provides direct flights to more than 60 international destinations.


5) Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND):

Also known as Tokyo International, Haneda Airport is the second-busiest in Asia, able to handle 90 million passengers a year. Tokyo Haneda Airport, sitting at number 5 right now with almost 85.5 million annual travelers. Having won the bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics, the Japanese government has increased capacity even further. Tokyo did fall to the number five spot in 2018, with Los Angeles overtaking it by just 400,000 travelers.


4) Dubai International Airport (DXB):

As the premier airport in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai International is the world’s busiest airport in terms of international passengers; in 2018 it served almost 89 million travelers from abroad. Dubai International Airport, sitting at number 4 right now with almost 86.3 million annual travelers. When Terminal 3 was completed in 2008, it was the world’s largest building, an honor it held until 2013. Dubai Duty-Free, which operates out of DXB, is the most successful airport retailer, generating $1.8 billion in 2013 alone.



3) Los Angeles International Airport (LAX):

LAX is the busiest origin and destination airport, meaning that relative to other airports, many more travelers begin or end their trips in Los Angeles than use it as a connection. Los Angeles International Airport, sitting at number 3 right now with almost 88 million annual travelers. The airport is home to “The Private Suite” – a members-only club that costs $4,500 per year, plus a minimum of $2,700 per flight. The membership includes a separate VIP terminal that is much like flying private. Around half of the members are business executives and the other half are celebrities.



2) Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK):

Beijing Capital is easily Asia’s busiest airport, serving 14 million more people than Tokyo International in 2018 and crossing above the 100 million marks. Beijing Capital International Airport, sitting at number 2 right now with almost 100 million annual travelers. To prepare for the 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing Capital added mammoth Terminal 3, which is one of the largest buildings in the world. The airport serves as the main hub for Air China, which flies out of Beijing to more than 120 destinations. It consistently has one of the strongest capacity growth rates – increasing 5.4 percent from the year earlier.


1) Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL):

Opened in September 1980, Hartsfield-Jackson has remained the world’s busiest passenger airport every year since 1998. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, sitting at number 1 right now with almost 110.5 million annual travelers. In terms of takeoffs and landings, it’s the second-busiest. Contributing to the airport’s prominence is Atlanta’s convenient location, a mere two-hour flight from 80 percent of the U.S. population. Indeed most of Atlanta’s traffic is serving domestic locations – not even cracking the list of the top 20 airports for international passenger traffic.


Although the above data is from 2019, if you look at data from the first half of 202, the top 10 rankings remain the same.

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