INTERNATIONAL. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has maintained its position as the busiest airport in the world in 2023 (104.65 million passengers, +11.7% year-on-year), while Middle East and Asia Pacific hubs enjoyed strong recovery to climb the rankings.
That’s according to Airports Council International (ACI) World’s annual World Airport Traffic Dataset released today, revealing the world’s 20 busiest airports in 2023 by passenger and cargo traffic.
The data represents airport passenger, cargo and aircraft movement rankings for over 2,700 airports across more than 185 countries and territories.
The figures indicate that with the continued recovery of international travel, 2023 global passenger traffic reached close to 8.7 billion, up by +30.5% from 2022 and reaching 94.2% of pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
Dubai International Airport (87 million, +31.7%) climbed three spots to claim second position, while Dallas Forth Worth Airport (81.75 million, +11.4%) fell one place to third.
London Heathrow Airport (79.2 million, +28.5%) made a significant leap, reaching fourth position from eighth last year, as well as Tokyo Airport (78.7 million, +55.1%), recovering from 16th to fifth.
Incheon International Airport made the most notable improvement in the top 20 rankings, jumping from 99th to take the 20th spot thanks to +213.8% growth (56.2 million passengers).
Of the top 20 airports overall, eight are in the USA and all have significant domestic passenger shares (between 70% and 95% domestic traffic). Aside from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta and Dallas Forth Worth, the busiest US airports in 2023 include Denver (77.8 million, +12.3%), Los Angeles (75.1 million, +13.8%) and Chicago O’Hare (73.9 million, +8.1%).
After reaching the top of the rankings in 2020, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport dropped to 58th position in 2022 but recovered to 12th spot last year.
This strength of international air travel was attributed to the reopening of the Asian markets and a growing inclination towards travel despite economic headwinds.
ACI World Director General and CEO Luis Felipe de Oliveira said: “The dataset findings indicate that the demand for air travel is as strong as ever. International passenger traffic has now almost fully recovered from the pandemic, and the regional disparities are gone.
“China’s reopening fuelled much of 2023’s strong growth and has propelled Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport back into the Top 20. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport continues to lead the way, but the revival of Middle East and Asia-Pacific hubs is the standout takeaway from 2023 figures.”
He added: “However, whatever position in the rankings an airport occupies, each is integral to the communities it serves. Airports are resilient, adaptable and support social and economic development. ACI World continues to advocate for airports worldwide to ensure their societal benefits are enjoyed by as many people as possible.”
The figures show that flight movements almost stood at 96 million in 2023, representing a growth of +12.6% from the previous year, hitting 92.8% of pre-pandemic levels.
The top 20 airports, representing close to 11% of global traffic (10.5 million movements), recorded an increase of +12.2% from 2022, returning to 95.3% of their 2019 results. ✈
