The 10 Busiest Airports in the World
The Airports Council International (ACI) has released its highly anticipated list of the Top 10 busiest airports in the world for 2022. According to the preliminary figures, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) has once again secured its position as the world’s busiest airport overall, while Dubai International (DXB) has been recognized as the busiest international hub.
In this comprehensive overview, we delve into the passenger traffic, cargo volumes, and aircraft movements at these airports.
Total Passenger Traffic for 2022
Early data from ACI reveals that global passenger traffic in 2022 reached an impressive milestone of nearly seven billion passengers. This marks a significant increase of 53.5% compared to 2021 figures and represents 73.8% of the total number of passengers handled in 2019.
The top 10 airports collectively accounted for 10% of global traffic and experienced an encouraging 85.9% recovery compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
Retaining their positions from 2021, the top four airports in 2022:
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (ATL) with 93.7 million passengers
- Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) with 73.4 million
- Denver (DEN) with 69.3 million
- Chicago O’Hare (ORD) with 68.3 million
Notably, Dubai International (DXB) climbed to the fifth spot in 2022, advancing from sixth place in the previous year, which was held by Los Angeles (LAX).
The remainder of the top 10 comprised airports that either regained their status as the world’s busiest gateways, such as Dubai (DXB), London Heathrow (LHR), and Paris CDG (CDG), or witnessed rapid growth in passenger traffic, as observed in Istanbul (IST) and Delhi (DEL). Notably, five of the top 10 airports are located within the United States, boasting significant proportions of domestic passengers ranging from 75% to 95%.
Of noteworthy mention, London Heathrow (LHR) experienced the most substantial surge in the top 10 rankings, soaring from the 54th position in 2021 to secure the eighth spot in 2022 following the reopening of borders after a two-year closure.
Total International Passenger Traffic
Dubai International (DXB) retained its status as the busiest international airport globally, serving a remarkable 66.06 million travelers in 2022. This represents a substantial 127% growth compared to 2021 levels. However, it is important to note that this figure still stands 23.5% below the pre-pandemic traffic statistics.
London Heathrow (LHR) made a noteworthy comeback, rejoining the top 10 international airports. Istanbul (IST), previously the second-busiest international airport, dropped to the fifth position. Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) maintained its third-place ranking, while Paris (CDG) held onto the fourth spot.
Luis Felipe de Oliveira, the director general of ACI World, expressed his thoughts, stating, “The new top 10 busiest airports for passenger traffic reflects the resilience of the airport and aviation industry, as well as the eagerness of passengers to resume air travel. While US airport hubs were able to rebound more quickly due to their robust domestic market, we are now witnessing global hubs reclaiming their positions, including Dubai, Istanbul, and London Heathrow. The reopening of China, the second largest aviation market after the US, is expected to bring further gains for both domestic and international travel.”
Total Cargo Traffic
In 2022, air cargo volumes experienced a 6.7% decline compared to the previous year, reaching approximately 117 million metric tons.
Among the top 10 airports for air cargo traffic, these figures accounted for approximately 27% of the total global air cargo traffic, amounting to 30.8 million tons. However, these airports witnessed a 9.9% decrease in cargo traffic in 2022 compared to 2021. Nonetheless, they still demonstrated an overall improvement of 4.1% in air cargo traffic compared to 2019.
The decline in cargo volumes can be attributed to persistent geopolitical tensions and disruptions to supply chains and global trade.
Hong Kong (HKG) maintained its position as the top-ranked airport for air cargo traffic, handling 4.2 million tons. Memphis (MEM) followed closely behind with 4.0 million tons, while Anchorage (ANC) secured the third spot with 3.5 million tons. Shanghai Pudong (PVG) experienced a shift from first to fourth place, handling 3.1 million tons of cargo in 2022.
Aircraft Movements
Airports worldwide witnessed a notable surge in aircraft movements, with approximately 89 million takeoffs and landings recorded in 2022. This represents a remarkable growth of 20.4% compared to the previous year, signaling an 82.5% recovery to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
The top 10 airports for aircraft movements, accounting for nearly 7% of global traffic, recorded an 11.4% increase from 2021 figures, showcasing a commendable recovery rate of 91.5% compared to their 2019 statistics.
Atlanta Airport (ATL) maintained its prominent position atop the rankings with 724,000 aircraft movements. Although this represents a modest 2.3% increase from the previous year, it places Atlanta in the spotlight. However, it is important to note that in 2019, Atlanta Airport ranked second, with Chicago O’Hare securing the first position.
These statistics highlight the resilience of the aviation industry and the gradual resurgence of air travel as countries navigate through the challenges posed by the global pandemic.