The Busiest Airports in the World

Airports are important gateways that connect cities, countries, and continents. Every day, millions of passengers travel through airports for business, tourism, education, and other purposes.

According to the ACI World Airport Traffic Dataset, the world’s busiest airports are measured by total passenger traffic, including passengers who depart from and arrive at each airport. The latest ACI World data shows that the busiest airports are handling tens of millions of passengers each year.

At the top of the ranking is Atlanta in the United States, with approximately 106.3 million passengers. Atlanta has maintained its position as the world’s busiest airport by total passenger traffic. In second place is Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates, which handled 95.2 million passengers.

Dubai is also the world’s busiest airport for international passenger traffic, demonstrating its importance as a global connecting hub. Tokyo Haneda Airport in Japan ranks third with 91.7 million passengers.

The United States has several airports among the world’s busiest. Dallas-Fort Worth ranks fourth with 85.7 million passengers, while Chicago O’Hare ranks sixth with 84.9 million. Denver is also included in the top ten, handling 82.4 million passengers. These figures demonstrate the enormous scale of air travel within the United States.

Other major international airports are also represented. Shanghai Pudong recorded 85.0 million passengers, placing it fifth.

London Heathrow handled 84.5 million passengers, while Istanbul recorded 84.4 million. Guangzhou Baiyun followed with 83.6 million passengers. Meanwhile, New Delhi handled 78.1 million, and Incheon in South Korea recorded 74.1 million passengers.

The ranking also reflects the continued growth of international air travel. ACI World reported that global passenger traffic reached approximately 9.8 billion passengers in 2025, an increase from the previous year.

Asian airports, in particular, showed strong growth, with Shanghai Pudong, Guangzhou Baiyun, Tokyo Haneda, and Incheon among the major airports contributing to the region’s expanding aviation activity.

Overall, these airports demonstrate the enormous scale of modern air transportation. From Atlanta and Dallas-Fort Worth to Dubai, Tokyo, London, and Shanghai, the world’s busiest airports serve as major transportation hubs, connecting millions of people and supporting tourism, business, and international trade.