British Airways Airbus A319 aircraft takes off from Heathrow Airport in London, Britain, May 17, 2021.
John Sibley | Reuters
International travel roared back last yr, pushing airports from London to Tokyo up in a world rating of passenger traffic.
Dubai International Airport ranked because the second busiest in 2023, up from fifth place in 2022 and fourth place in 2019, in keeping with Airports Council International’s preliminary rating, which was released on Monday. Passenger traffic to Tokyo Haneda International Airport jumped 55% last yr from 2022, and the airport ranked fifth, up from sixteenth place a yr earlier.
Global airports served 8.5 billion passengers last yr, up 27% from 2022 but still about 6% below pre-pandemic counts, ACI said, citing preliminary figures.
The resurgence of international travel has been a shiny spot for airlines with big international networks, while ultra-low-cost, domestic-focused U.S. airlines have struggled in recent months. Domestic U.S. airports continued to post big gains in passenger counts, but some slipped within the rankings compared with the center of the pandemic, when international travel restrictions limited long-haul trips abroad.
Nearly 78 million people used Denver International Airport last yr, up 12% from 2022, however the airport, a significant hub of United Airlines, fell in ACI’s rating to sixth place from third.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Delta Air Lines‘ biggest hub, once more topped the list of the busiest airports, serving 104.7 million passengers, ACI said.
Listed below are the 2023 rankings (with 2022 rankings in parentheses):
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (1)
- Dubai International Airport (5)
- Dallas/Fort Price International Airport (2)
- London Heathrow (8)
- Tokyo Haneda International Airport (16)
- Denver International Airport (3)
- Istanbul Airport (7)
- Los Angeles International Airport (6)
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (4)
- Latest Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (9)
