- The Busiest Airport in 2024 was Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) with 62.7 million seats. It also held the top spot in 2023 and 2019.
- Airline capacity at ATL increased by 2% compared to 2023, but was below 2019 levels by 1%.
- The second busiest airport globally was Dubai International Airport (DXB) with 60.2 million seats.
- DXB’s airline capacity grew significantly since 2023 with seats increasing by 7% year-on-year. Capacity was up 12% compared to 2019.
- In third place was Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) with 55.2 million seats, a capacity increase of 5% compared to 2023.
- The geographic distribution of the busiest airports was broad – four based in North America, three in Asia, two in Europe and one in the Middle East.
- In 2024, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) ranked as the fifth busiest airport, while Denver International Airport (DEN) held sixth position.
- Both airports surpassed their 2019 performance, with capacity increases of 18% at DFW and 24% at DEN, marking the highest growth among the top ten airports. Additionally, compared to 2023, DFW and DEN expanded their capacity by 7% and 5% more seats, respectively.
- Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) saw the most rapid growth among the top ten airports, with a 29% increase in capacity compared to 2023. This is largely due to China’s ongoing air travel recovery following the global pandemic. As a result, PVG moved from the 15th busiest global airport in 2023 to the ninth busiest in 2024.
- In comparison to 2019, the Busiest Global Airports of 2024 included four new additions:
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) which was in fifth place in 2024 and 13th in 2019,
- Denver International Airport (DEN) which was in sixth place in 2024 and 21st in 2019,
- Guangzhou Baiyun Airport (CAN) which was in seventh place in 2024 and 12th place in 2019,
- Istanbul Airport (IST) which was in eighth place in 2024 and 16th in 2019.
Top10 Busiest Global Airports of 2024 (ranked by seats)
What were the busiest international airports of 2024?
- Dubai International Airport (DXB) retained the title of the World’s Busiest International Airport with 60.2 million seats; it was also the busiest airport in 2023 and 2019.
- London Heathrow Airport (LHR) took second place with 48.4 million seats. Airline capacity has increased by 4% compared to 2023.
- Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN) moved up four places to be the third busiest international airport with 41.6 million seats. ICN saw capacity grow by 24% in 2024 compared to 2023 but fell slightly behind 2019 by 2%.
- Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) had the biggest increase in capacity among the Top 10 busiest international airports in 2024 compared to 2023, growing by 40%, making it the ninth busiest airport. However, HKG is still 23% behind 2019 levels.
- In comparison to 2019, Istanbul Airport (IST) saw the largest growth in airline capacity, increasing by 20% to 38.6 million seats and taking it to sixth place.
Here’s a closer look at the airline capacity data at these airports, including % change comparison to the years 2019 and 2023:
What were the busiest European airports of 2024?
- The Busiest Airport in Europe for 2024 was London Heathrow Airport (LHR) with 51.6 million seats – 4% higher than 2023 and 3% above 2019.
- Istanbul Airport (IST) was the second busiest airport in Europe with 48.5 million seats, adding 5% more than 2023 and 15% more than 2019.
- Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) took third place with 42.1 million seats. Capacity increased by 4% compared to 2023 but was 7% behind 2019.
- Amsterdam Airport (AMS) was in fourth place with 40.0 million seats – an 8% increase in capacity compared to 2023.
- Among the top ten busiest airports in Europe, Munich International Airport (MUC) and Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) were the furthest behind 2019 levels, with decreases of 16% and 12% respectively. However, both airports saw an increase compared to 2023, adding 13% and 6% respectively.
- Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) had the biggest increase in capacity compared to 2023, adding 21% more seats and taking the spot of eighth busiest airport in Europe. This airport is also 9% above 2019 levels.
- All airports in the 2024 Top 10 Busiest Airports in Europe were also in the Top 10 in 2023 and 2019, although with slightly different rankings.
