The world's busiest airports by passenger traffic are measured by total passengers provided by the Airports Council International, defined as passengers enplaned plus passengers deplaned plus direct-transit passengers. The world's busiest airport is Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, which has been the world's busiest airport every year since 1998 with the exception of 2020, when its passenger traffic dipped for a year due to travel restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. [1] Atlanta regained the top position in 2021. [2] [3] and has held it since. Alternatively, London has the world's busiest city airport system by passenger count.
As of 2022, the four busiest airports in the world are located in the United States. Eight countries have at least two airports in the top 50 (the United States has 19 of them, Turkey has three of them; and France, Germany, India, Mexico, Spain, and the United Kingdom have two of them. [4] In terms of regions, North America has 22 airports in the top 50, followed by Europe at 11, Southeast Asia and West Asia with five each, East Asia, South Asia, and South America with two each, and Oceania has one.
Source: 2023 report from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey [5]
Source: 2022 report from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey [4]
Source: 2021 report from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey [3]
Source: 2020 report from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. [6]
Figures as reported by airports are as follows: [7] [8]
Figures as reported by airports are as follows: [9] [10]
Airports Council International's full-year figures are as follows: [11] [12] [13]
Airports Council International's full-year figures are as follows: [14]
John F. Kennedy International Airport is a major international airport serving New York City and the New York metropolitan area, in the United States. The airport is the busiest of the seven airports in the New York airport system, the 6th-busiest airport in the United States, and the busiest international air passenger gateway into North America. The facility covers 5,200 acres (2,104 ha) and is the largest and busiest airport in the New York City area.
Atatürk Airport is an airport currently in use for private jets. It used to be the primary international airport of Istanbul and the hub of Turkish Airlines until it was closed to commercial passenger flights on 6 April 2019. From that point, all passenger flights were transferred to the new Istanbul Airport.
Hong Kong International Airport is an international airport located on the island of Chek Lap Kok in western Hong Kong. The airport is also referred to as Chek Lap Kok International Airport or Chek Lap Kok Airport, to distinguish it from its predecessor, the former Kai Tak Airport.
Newark Liberty International Airport is an international airport straddling the boundary between the cities of Newark in Essex County and Elizabeth in Union County, New Jersey, in the United States. Located about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) south of downtown Newark and 9 miles (14 km) west-southwest of Manhattan in New York City, it is a major gateway to points in Europe, South America, Asia, and Oceania. It is jointly owned by the cities and leased to its operator, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. It is the second-busiest airport in the New York airport system behind John F. Kennedy International Airport but far ahead of LaGuardia Airport.
Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, formerly known as simply Louisville International Airport, is a civil-military airport in Louisville in Jefferson County, Kentucky. The airport covers 1,500 acres (6.1 km2) and has three runways. Its IATA airport code, SDF, is based on the airport's former name, Standiford Field. Despite being called an international airport, it has no regularly-scheduled international passenger flights, but is a port of entry, handling many UPS Airlines international cargo flights through the United Parcel Service's worldwide air hub, often referred to as UPS Worldport.
A border checkpoint is a location on an international border where travelers or goods are inspected and allowed passage through. Authorization often is required to enter a country through its borders. Access-controlled borders often have a limited number of checkpoints where they can be crossed without legal sanctions. Arrangements or treaties may be formed to allow or mandate less restrained crossings. Land border checkpoints can be contrasted with the customs and immigration facilities at seaports, international airports, and other ports of entry.
Airports Council International (ACI) is an organization of airport authorities aimed at uniting industry practices for airport standards. Established in 1991, its headquarters are based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and its members operate nearly 2000 airports.
The busiest airports by continent is based on the busiest airports in all continents except Antarctica and Oceania.