Busiest Airports in the World [2023]
Top 10 busiest airports in the world based on the volume of passengers: you are probably curious which air hubs made the cut this year.
Airports Council International (ACI) released its latest report in April 2023 and we from SkyRefund will give you a quick overview of the official figures.
2022 saw European and Asian leaders like London Heathrow and Indira Gandhi New Delhi Airport reclaim positions in the busiest top 10 global airports but let’s see who else is on the list.
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#10 Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), France
A major European hub that got its place back in the world top 10: the biggest French and Parisian airport, Charles de Gaulle. 57 474 033 travelers passed through CDG which is only logical, considering this airport is an important focus point for both domestic and international flight routes.
#9 New Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), India
India’s largest airport saw almost 59,5 million passengers arrive, depart or go through New Delhi in 2022. Indira Gandhi airport is not only the largest in India by surface area, but also the busiest by passenger and cargo traffic. It is also the first Indian air hub to be powered by solar and hydropower only.
#8 London Heathrow Airport (LHR), UK
The biggest British airport also resurfaced in the global top 10 after the COVID pandemic. Heathrow welcomed over 61 million passengers in 2022 and reclaimed its former glory as one of Europe’s busiest air hubs.
#7 Istanbul International Airport (IST), Turkiye
The new airport in Istanbul is quickly catching up with the major contenders and with over 64 million travelers met in 2022, the Turkish hub is righteously holding the 7th position in the ranking.
Istanbul airport’s management has ambitious expansion plans for the upcoming years and recently stated that the target passenger traffic for 2024 is 85 million. Time will only show if this is a realistic projection but we will surely keep a close eye on the Turkish airport.
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#6 Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), California, US
LAX lost its fifth position to Dubai with a small difference: the Californian airport served 65 924 298 passengers in 2022. If you ever find yourself in the area, make sure to pronounce the letters of LAX separately. The airport’s code used to be just LA until the 1930s but with aviation’s rapid growth, an “X” was added.
#5 Dubai International Airport, UAE (DXB)
The luxurious Dubai airport welcomed 66 069 981 passengers in 2022 and thus surpassed the LA airport in the ranking.
Emirates, the biggest Middle Eastern airline in terms of seats sold, uses DXB as its main hub and offers direct flights to over 240 destinations worldwide.
#4 Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Illinois, US
Chicago O’Hare ranks fourth busiest airport in the world, closely following Denver with over 68 million passengers served in 2022. According to the ACI data, it is also the second busiest airport in the world by aircraft movements.
A fun fact about O’Hare: that’s the first airport in the world to host an apiary which became home to more than a million bees, kept by former convicts from the Chicago area.
#3 Denver International Airport (DEN), Colorado, US
Not only does Denver rank as the 3rd busiest airport in the world with its 69 million passengers in 2022 but it is also the world’s second biggest airport by surface area (after King Fahd International Airport).
Something that distinguishes Denver Airport is the building’s design with its white roof towers which were inspired by the nearby snowy Rocky mountains and allow lots of natural light into the airport.
#2 Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Texas, US
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is the largest hub for American Airlines and served over 73 million passengers in 2022. This huge American airport is also the third busiest in the world by aircraft movements.
#1 Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL), Atlanta, US
And the first place rightfully goes to Hartsfield-Jackson, the world’s biggest airport by passenger traffic since 2000. It kept the crown even after the COVID pandemic and served almost 94 million passengers in 2022. It also holds the first place for busiest airport in the world by aircraft movements.
With this, our ranking is concluded, we wish you safe travels from the world’s busiest airports!
Safe travels!