What Is The Busiest Airport In The World? | Updated List of World’s Busiest Airports 2022

Posted on Nov 16th, 2022 by Renu Dahiya, Last updated on Nov 18th, 2022

The busiest airports in the world are major connecting hubs for travellers from around the globe. And, we agree that every airport feels like the world’s busiest airport when you’re dodging fellow passengers left and right on the way to your flight gate. But, do you want to know which is the busiest airport in the world? In this blog, you can see the updated list of the top 10 busiest airports in the world in 2022. And, not surprisingly, the hierarchy of the top 10 airports ranked as the busiest in the world is not much changed compared to last year’s report. 

The list below consists of airports ranked by the volume of international passengers and total passengers (both domestic and international). This includes all departing, arriving, transferring, and direct transfer passengers. The ranking is based on the figures from the latest report released by the ACI – Airports Council International.

Busiest Airport In The World By International Passengers

Dubai International Airport (DXB) continues to be the busiest airport in the world in terms of international passengers. For the last three consecutive years, the DXB Airport has retained its position of being the world’s busiest airport by international passenger traffic. 

Here’s the list Of Top 5 Busiest Airports In The World In Terms Of  International Passenger Traffic – 

Position	Airports	International Passenger Traffic
1	Dubai International Airport (DXB)	29,110,609
2	Istanbul Airport (IST)	26,466,169
3	Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)	25,488,783
4	Frankfurt Airport (FRA)	22,697,490
5	Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport  (CDG)	22,616,995

1. Dubai International Airport (DXB) – UAE

Dubai International Airport, the busiest airport in the world by international passenger traffic, handled more than 29.1 million international travellers in 2021, which is 12.7% more than in 2020, but still 66.3% below 2019 levels. The airport is also holding the title of the second-busiest airport in the world in terms of airline seats. DXB Airport has increased its capacity between November and October 2022 by 3%, and it is the only airport in the top 10 to have an increase in seats in these months. With this growth, passengers travelling on flights from Dubai to India, USA, Canada or other countries and vice versa will have many more options in the future. 

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2. Istanbul Airport (IST) – Turkey

Istanbul Airport is the second-busiest airport in the world in terms of international passenger traffic, according to the latest report released by ACI. The airport managed more than 26.4 million passengers last year, which was a 66.0% increase in traffic compared to 2020, the third-biggest rise on the list of the world’s busiest airports by international passengers. Despite this high passenger traffic, IST airport’s traffic was 33.1% below 2019 levels. The airport is also the night-busiest airport in the world in terms of airline seats. 

3. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) – Netherlands

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) is the world’s third-busiest airport by international passengers as per the ACI’s latest list and handled more than 25.4  million travellers traversing the airport in 2021, which is 22.1 % more than in 2020, but still 64.4% below 2019 levels. AMS Airport is also the fifth-busiest airport in the world by airline seats, using international frequency only. 

4. Frankfurt Airport (FRA) – Germany

Frankfurt Airport (FRA) scores fourth position in the list of busiest airports in the world in terms of international passenger traffic. The airport handled around 22.7 million travellers in 2021, which is 34.8% more than in 2020, but still 64.0% fewer passengers than in 2019. FRA Airport is also the world’s seventh busiest airport by international airline seats and the fourth busiest European airport in terms of total airline seats, according to the latest reports. 

5. Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG) – France

Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG) is the world’s fifth-busiest airport by international passengers, with more than 22.6 million passengers in 2021, which was an 18.7% increase in traffic compared to 2020. Despite this high rise, CDG airport’s traffic was 67.6% below 2019 levels, which was the second-biggest drop of any airport on the list of the world’s busiest airports (by international passengers). The airport also holds the title of the world’s third-busiest airport in terms of international airline seats and third-busiest European airport in terms of total airline seats. 

Busiest Airport In The World By Total Passengers (Both Domestic And International)

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic, as per the latest reports published by ACI. It is also at the top of the list of busiest airports in the world by aircraft movements. The airport offers services to both domestic and international destinations in 5 continents – North America, South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. 

Here’s the complete list of the 10 busiest airports in the world in terms of total passenger traffic (both domestic and international) – 

Position	Airports	Passenger Traffic
1	Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)	75,704,760
2	Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)	62,465,756
3	Denver International Airport (DEN)	58,828,552
4	Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)	54,020,399
5	Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)	48,007,284
6	Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)	43,302,230
7	Orlando International Airport (MCO)	40,351,068
8	Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN)	40,259,401
9	Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU)	40,117,496
10	Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)	39,754,366

1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport – USA 

With more than 75.7 million travellers passing through its halls in 2021, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the United States is at the top of the podium and has been the undisputed leader in terms of the number of total passengers (both domestic and international). The ATL airport is ideally located and 80% of the American population can reach it in less than 2 hours of flight time, which shows why 90% of its airflow is national. Apart from being the busiest airport in the world, Atlanta airport is also at the top list of airports serving the maximum number of destinations without connections. 

2. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport – USA

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is the second-busiest airport in the world as per the latest report released by ACI, with some 62.5  million travellers traversing the airport in 2021, which is 58.7 % more than in 2020, but still 16.8% below 2019 levels. DFW is also the world’s third busiest airport by aircraft movements. It is also the second busiest international gateway in the US and the top busiest international gateway in Texas. 

3. Denver International Airport – USA

Denver International Airport, the world’s third busiest airport, handled about 58.8 million travellers in 2021, up 74.4% from 2020 and about 15% below 2020. The airport is also holding the title of the  4th busiest airport in the world by aircraft movements, the second-biggest airport in the world, and the biggest airport in the USA with 135.7 square km of land. Denver is home to legacy carrier United and low-cost giant Frontier Airlines. 

4. Chicago O’Hare International Airport – USA 

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), the 4th busiest airport in the world, saw over 54 million travellers in 2021, which is 75.1% more than in 2020. However, the airport had the third-biggest drop in passenger levels compared to 2019 with a 36.2% decrease. It is also ranked as the world’s second-busiest airport in terms of aircraft movements. Chicago Airport is a hub airport for United and Americans, and a focus city for low-cost rivals Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines. 

5. Los Angeles International Airport – USA

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the fifth-busiest airport in the world, with more than 48 million passengers in 2021, which was a 66.8% increase in traffic compared to 2020. Despite this high passenger traffic, LAX airport’s traffic was 45.5% below 2019 levels, which was the biggest drop of any airport on the list of the world’s busiest airports. The airport is also the world’s sixth busiest airport by aircraft movements and the world’s eighth busiest airport in terms of air cargo volumes. Los Angeles Airport is a hub for several carriers, including American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta Airlines, and United Airlines. 

6. Charlotte Douglas International Airport – USA 

Charlotte Douglas International Airport scores the sixth position in the list of busiest airports in the world in terms of passenger traffic. The airport handled about 43.3 million travellers in 2021, which is 59.2% more than in 2020, but still 13.4% fewer passengers than in 2019. CLT Airport has improved the most in terms of busiest airport rankings, having come in at number 34 in 2019 and 18 in 2020. It is also the world’s fifth-busiest airport by aircraft movements. Charlotte Airport is a major hub for American Airlines. 

7. Orlando International Airport – USA

Orlando International Airport (MCO), USA handled more than 40.3 million travellers last year and became the seventh-busiest airport in the world in terms of passenger traffic. It has seen the biggest rise in passenger traffic at 86.7% from 2020, which can be attributed to the popular beaches and theme parks that Florida has to offer. Despite the high volume, MCO Airport’s volume fell 20.3% compared to 2019. 

8. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport – China

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) was the busiest airport in the world in 2020, stealing the title from Atlanta Airport (ATL). The airport handled about 40.2 million travellers in 2021 and scored the eighth position in the ranking of busiest airports in the world by passenger traffic. It saw the biggest drop in passenger volume from last year compared to other airports in the list, with an 8% decrease. The airport was also 45.1% below 2019 levels. Guangzhou Baiyun Airport is a hub for China Southern Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, 9 Air, Hainan Airlines, and FedEx Express. 

9. Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport – China

Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU), China is the ninth-busiest airport in the world, with more than 40.1 million passengers in 2021, which was actually a 1.5% decrease from 2020, and 28.2% below 2019 levels. Chengdu Airport is also home to several major Asian Airlines such as China Southern Airlines, Air China, Tibet Airlines, Chengdu Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, Lucky Air, and China Eastern Airlines. 

 10. Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport – USA

Las Vegas’s Harry Reid International Airport, the world’s tenth busiest airport, managed more than 39.7 million passengers last year. The airport has seen the second-biggest increase in passenger traffic compared to 2020 at 78.6%. Despite this huge rise, the LAS Airport’s passenger volume fell 23.1% present compared to 2019. The airport is also the seventh-busiest airport in the world in terms of aircraft movements. Allegiant Air uses Las Vegas as a major hub and operating base. 

Conclusion

8 of the top ten busiest airports in the world for total passenger traffic are in the United States with the two remaining in China. All top 10 airports have a significant share of domestic traffic, the traffic segment that has been leading the global recovery. The biggest improvement recorded was from Orlando International Airport (MCO) with 40.4 million passengers and an 86.7% increase compared to 2020. It has jumped from the 27th position in 2020 to the seventh spot in 2021. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Name the busiest airport in the world. 

A: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is the busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic (both domestic and international).

Q: What are the top 5 busiest cargo airports in the world?

A: As per the latest reports released by ACI, the top 5 busiest airports in the world for cargo are – 

1	Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
2	Memphis International Airport (MEM)
3	Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)
4	Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)
5	Incheon International Airport (INC)

Q: What is the busiest airport in the world in terms of international passengers?

A: Dubai International Airport (DXB) scores the top position in the list of busiest airports in the world for international passengers. 

Q: What is the busiest airport in the world in terms of flights per day?

A: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) regained the top position of the busiest airport in the world by flights per day or aircraft movements. 

Q: What is the busiest airport in the United Arab Emirates?

A: Dubai International Airport (DXB) is the busiest airport in the United Arab Emirates in terms of total passenger traffic and in the whole world in terms of international passenger traffic. 

That’s all you need to know about the top 10 busiest airports in the world. We hope you found this blog helpful. For more such pieces, do check out our website and read the latest updates and informative blogs such as the ‘latest guidelines for travelling from UAE to India’, ‘everything about Air Suvidha self-declaration form’, ‘non-stop direct flights’ & more. 

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