Did You Know 8 Of The World’s 20 Busiest Airports Are Located In The US?

The United States is home to some of the busiest airports in the world. In fact, a recent report released by Airports Council International (ACI) World revealed that eight of the world’s 20 busiest airports in 2023 are located in the US.

These airports are critical hubs for domestic and international travel, serving tens of millions of passengers annually. Let’s take a closer look at their impressive stats!

There is a strong rebound in post-pandemic travel

Each year, ACI releases the Annual World Airport Traffic Dataset, created using airport traffic data collected through its global network of airport operator members, investors, and aviation stakeholders. The dataset encompasses more than 2,700 airports in over 185 countries and territories.

Photo: Jim Lambert | Shutterstock

The 2024 report, which covers statistics from 2023, found that total global traffic in 2023 was close to 8.7 billion – representing a 30.5% rise over 2022 and a recovery of 94.2% from pre-pandemic (2019) results. This positively signifies a strong and continued resurgence in international traffic.

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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.”

US airports claim eight spots on the list

The top 20 busiest airports in the world served 1.41 billion passengers in 2023, accounting for 16% of global passenger movements. Notably, this represents a 96.8% recovery from 2019, which saw 1.46 billion passengers. Of these 20 airports, US airports make up 40% of the list, with eight airports making the cut:

Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

Altogether, a total of 590,347,469 passengers enplaned, deplaned, and/or transited at these eight airports. Interestingly, the report found that almost all of these airports have significant domestic passenger shares – between 70% and 95% – illustrating the sheer volume of domestic travel in the US.

ATL remains the busiest airport in the world

ATL is consistently ranked as the busiest airport in the world by passenger numbers – and in 2023, it maintained its grip on the throne, serving 104,653,451 passengers. What’s even more impressive is that it handled close to 18 million more passenger movements than the second-busiest airport in the world, Dubai International Airport (DXB).

Photo: Mikhalis Makarov | Shutterstock

Serving as the primary hub for Delta Air Lines, ATL offers numerous domestic and international routes, contributing significantly to its high passenger traffic. Known for its highly efficient operations, ATL is a model of airport management and a critical node in the global air travel network.

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As for the seven other US airports on the list, their positions dropped against their 2022 rankings, as shown below:

Nonetheless, all eight airports remained among the world’s top 20 busiest airports in both 2022 and 2023 – with six maintaining a place on the list from 2019. Significantly, MCO and LAS were not on the list prior to the pandemic, having increased their passenger volumes post-COVID.

Half the eight airports handled more passengers post-pandemic

Although all of the 20 busiest airports have seen an improvement in passenger numbers compared to 2022, as mentioned earlier, passenger traffic has not yet recovered to pre-COVID levels. In 2023, ATL, LAX, ORD, and JFK handled passenger volumes that were between 0.1% and 14.8% lower than in 2019.

Photo: Denver International Airport

Interestingly, however, of the eight US airports on the list, four have seen an increase in passenger volumes after the pandemic: DFW, DEN, MCO, and LAS have all experienced between a 4.9% to 12.8% rise in passenger traffic compared to 2019.

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The most significant is DEN, which saw a 12.8% improvement in passenger volumes against pre-COVID figures. Famous for its distinctive tent-like terminal architecture, the airport’s innovative design and strategic location make it a significant hub for flights across the US and beyond.

The US is the only country with more than one airport on the list

These eight US airports are not only some of the busiest in the world but also serve as critical hubs for domestic and international travel. It’s also worth highlighting that, in terms of cargo movements, seven US airports made it into ACI’s list for air cargo movements – accounting for nearly half of the world’s 20 busiest cargo hubs in 2023. They are: MEM, ANC, SDF, MIA, LAX, ORD, and CVG.

Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

These airports’ strategic locations, extensive flight networks, and efficient operations make them indispensable components of the global aviation industry. As air travel continues to grow, they will remain vital in connecting people and goods across the globe, cementing their status as key players in the aviation sector.