The global aviation industry is undergoing profound transformation. As the post-pandemic era unfolds, some airports have reclaimed their former glory while new contenders emerge. The latest report from Airports Council International (ACI) reveals the 2024 passenger traffic landscape, with Chinese airports making particularly notable gains.
Atlanta Retains Crown, Dubai Shows Strong Recovery
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) maintained its position as the world's busiest airport, handling over 108 million passengers in 2024. However, this figure remains 2.2% below pre-pandemic 2019 levels, indicating an ongoing recovery process.
Dubai International Airport (DXB) ranked second with 92.3 million passengers, marking a 7% increase compared to pre-pandemic levels. The Middle Eastern hub leads in international passenger traffic, solidifying its status as a global aviation crossroads.
Record Global Passenger Numbers
Global air passenger traffic reached a historic high of 9.4 billion in 2024, representing 8.4% growth from 2023 and 2.7% above 2019 levels. These figures demonstrate robust industry recovery and growing travel demand worldwide.
Top 15 Busiest Airports by Total Passengers
- Atlanta, US (ATL): 108.1 million
- Dubai, UAE (DXB): 92.3 million
- Dallas/Fort Worth, US (DFW): 87.8 million
- Tokyo, Japan (HND): 85.9 million
- London, UK (LHR): 83.9 million
- Denver, US (DEN): 82.4 million
- Istanbul, Turkey (IST): 80.1 million
- Chicago, US (ORD): 80.0 million
- New Delhi, India (DEL): 77.8 million
- Shanghai, China (PVG): 76.8 million
- Los Angeles, US (LAX): 76.6 million
- Guangzhou, China (CAN): 76.4 million
- Incheon, South Korea (ICN): 71.2 million
- Paris, France (CDG): 70.3 million
- Singapore (SIN): 67.7 million
China's Aviation Ascendancy
Chinese airports showed remarkable progress, with Shanghai Pudong (PVG) and Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) ranking 10th and 12th respectively in global passenger traffic. Hong Kong International Airport ranked 9th in international traffic. Notably, three Chinese airports—Shanghai (PVG), Guangzhou (CAN), and Beijing (PEK)—entered the top 20 for the first time since the pandemic, signaling China's growing aviation influence.
Uneven Recovery Patterns
While global traffic has rebounded overall, several major hubs including Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, Singapore, Beijing, Amsterdam and Bangkok remain below pre-pandemic levels. Beijing's passenger volume remains 32.6% below 2019 figures, indicating a slower recovery trajectory.
Industry Outlook
Despite challenges including economic uncertainty, geopolitical airspace closures and aircraft delivery delays, ACI projects global passenger traffic will reach 9.9 billion in 2025. Several airports showed significant ranking improvements, with Dallas/Fort Worth and Denver climbing to 3rd and 6th positions respectively from their 2019 rankings of 10th and 16th.
Istanbul Airport and New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport also made substantial gains, rising to 7th and 9th positions from 28th and 17th respectively in 2019. The United States maintains strong representation with six airports in the top 20.
As global economic recovery continues and travel demand grows, the aviation sector appears poised for sustained expansion. China's emerging airport infrastructure presents both opportunities and challenges for the global aviation landscape, requiring continued adaptation to evolving passenger needs and operational demands.