Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta to be world’s ‘busiest airport’ by 2023; Middle East and Asia-Pacific seeing strong recovery: Moodie Davitt report

INTERNATIONAL. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport maintained its position as the world’s busiest airport in 2023 (104.65 million passengers, +11.7% year-on-year), while hubs in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific saw strong recovery to climb the rankings.

This is according to the annual global airport traffic dataset released today by Airports Council International (ACI), revealing the world’s 20 busiest airports in 2023 in terms of passenger and cargo traffic.

The data represents passenger, cargo and aircraft movement rankings at more than 2,700 airports in more than 185 countries and territories.

The figures indicate that with the continued recovery of international travel, global passenger traffic in 2023 reached nearly 8.7 billion, up +30.5% from 2022 and reaching 94.2% of pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

Dubai International Airport (87 million, +31.7%) climbed three places to second, while Dallas-Fort Worth Airport (81.75 million, +11.4%) fell one place to third.

London Heathrow Airport (79.2 million, +28.5%) made a significant jump, reaching fourth position from eighth last year, as did Tokyo Airport (78.7 million, +55.1%), moving up from 16th to fifth place.

Incheon International Airport made the most notable improvement in the top 20 ranking, moving from 99th to 20th place thanks to growth of +213.8% (56.2 million passengers).

Among the top 20 airports in the ranking, eight are in the United States and all have a significant share of domestic passenger traffic (between 70% and 95% of domestic traffic). In addition to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta and Dallas Forth Worth, the busiest US airports in 2023 are Denver (77.8 million, +12.3%), Los Angeles (75.1 million, +13.8%) and Chicago O’Hare (73.9 million, +8.1%).

After reaching the top of the ranking in 2020, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport fell to 58th position in 2022, but recovered to 12th place last year.

This strength in international air traffic has been attributed to the reopening of Asian markets and a growing inclination towards travel despite economic headwinds.

Luis Felipe de Oliveira, Director General and CEO of ACI World, said: “The results of the dataset indicate that demand for air travel is stronger than ever. International passenger traffic has now almost fully recovered from the pandemic and regional disparities have disappeared.

“China’s reopening fueled much of 2023’s strong growth and propelled Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport into the Top 20. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport continues to lead the way, but the revival of Middle East and Asia Pacific hubs is the highlight of 2023 numbers.”

He added: “However, regardless of where an airport ranks, each and every one of them is an integral part of the communities they serve. Airports are resilient, adaptable and support social and economic development. ACI World continues to advocate on behalf of airports around the world to ensure that their societal benefits reach as many people as possible.”

The figures show that flight movements reached almost 96 million in 2023, representing a growth of +12.6% compared to the previous year, reaching 92.8% of pre-pandemic levels.

The top 20 airports, representing nearly 11% of global traffic (10.5 million movements), recorded an increase of +12.2% compared to 2022, returning to 95.3% of their 2019 results. ✈