Airports can become busy because they are located in places that are hubs for international travel. However the last few years have shown that airports themselves can be tourist attractions; they can be impressive monuments that draw in people from all over the world.
Some airports can be a combination of both; they are impressive monuments built close to important business hubs. In that case, people will come in from every corner of the world, for reasons of business and pleasure- making the airports extremely busy.
The following are some of the airports that never sleep; they are some of the biggest hubs of international travel.
Top 100 Busiest Airports In The World
1. Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport
The Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the major international airport serving Atlanta Georgia. This airport is located some 10 miles away from Downtown Atlanta, which is the main business district of the city.
This airport is also huge; it covers an area of 4,700 acres of land; the equivalent of a small city.
Much of its traffic comes from Delta Airlines; the airport is the principal hub of the airline. Delta Airlines alone handles around 1000 flights every day, to 225 destinations – both domestic and international. This is the biggest airline hub in the world- and if anything, this airport proves how important Delta Airlines actually is.
2. Beijing Capital International Airport
The Beijing Capital International Airport is the foremost airport of the People’s Republic of China, and also one of the busiest airports in the world in terms of passenger traffic. This airport was opened on 1 March 1958, and has grown to be one of the most important airports in the world.
It is located 32 km (20 mi) northeast of Beijing’s city center, and Beijing is one of the world’s biggest cities for business, trade, and investments. This airport’s rise in importance can therefore be linked to the steady and consistent rise in the Chinese economy.
This airport has been thee busiest in Asia since 2009, and continues to hold this position without rivalry.
3. Dubai International Airport
Dubai International Airport is the principal airport of the UAE. It is the busiest airport in the world by international traffic, but falls slightly behind in terms of total traffic – both international and local.
This airport owes its popularity to Dubai as one of the world’s most visited places. Dubai is one of the world’s leading places for international travel because it is a leading hub for commerce; a meeting point for business people from the east and west.
This airport is the hub of Emirates Airlines, Flydubai, and Fedex. The airport was opened in 1960.
4. Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport was opened on October 1, 1928. It is the major airport serving Los Angeles, California, as well as the surrounding area. The airport itself is located in the Westchester area, which is also in Los Angeles; just about 18 miles away from Downtown Los Angeles.
This is one of the most important airports in the world; in 2019 it was the busiest in the world, and is still very important for both passenger and cargo traffic.
This airport is a hub for Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Polar Air Cargo, and United Airlines. This airport is also a hub for local airlines such as; Allegiant Air, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines.
5. O’Hare International Airport
O’Hare International Airport actually started as an airfield for a military hardware contractor, but is now nicknamed the busiest “square mile in the world.” The airport is located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. This is the main airport serving the Chicago, Illinois metropolitan area.
This airport is named for a famous military aviator Edward “Butch” O’Hare who received a Medal of Honor for his services. The airport is now a hub of civil aviation- and it is now one of the most important ones.
From 1963 to 1998, this airport was the world’s busiest, and even now it remains one of the most important, with about 2,520 aircraft movements per day.
6. Heathrow Airport
Heathrow Airport is the largest airport in the United Kingdom. This world famous airport is located in London, and it serves the London Metropolitan area.
As per international travel, this is one of the busiest airports in the world, and this must be related to the fact that London is one of the most popular destinations for international travel.
This airport was opened in 1946, but it was an airfield from 1929 up to World War II. In its location- just 14 miles south of the center of London, planes approaching the airport can be seen clearly by residents from their homes.
7. Haneda Airport
Haneda Airport is one of the two airports serving the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. This airport is one of the most important in Asia for both passenger and cargo movements. This airport is the hub of important Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Air Do, Skymark Airlines, Solaseed Air, and StarFlyer.
Haneda airport is conveniently located just 15 kilometers south of the Tokyo Station. This makes it a good location for people visiting the Tokyo Area. Tokyo is the premier business center of Japan, and so it receives visitors in droves. The city is also the most important in the country in terms of Culture and Education.
8. Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport is built on reclaimed land on an island which makes it somewhat unique. It has been in use since 1998, and at the time of its opening, the terminal building was the largest in the world.
This airport is economically significant because it has 65,000 employees, and those employees can be paid because the airport is extremely busy. Hong Kong is one of the most important destinations in Asia for business and pleasure.
9. Shanghai Pudong International Airport
Shanghai Pudong International Airport is one of the most popular airports in Asia in terms of international traffic. The airport is a monument in its own right; it is designed like an arch and is quite impressive in terms of dimensions. Shanghai Pudong International Airport is a hub for Air China, China Cargo Airlines, FedEx Express, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, DHL Aviation, UPS Airlines, Juneyao Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Suparna Airlines, and Spring Airlines.
About half of the passenger traffic in this airport is international, and the cargo traffic here is also very impressive. In fact, unofficial reports indicate that the DHL hub at this airport is the biggest cargo hub in Asia.
10. Charles De Gaulle International Airport
Charles de Gaulle International Airport is located in Paris, France. It was opened on 8 March 1974, and it is the principal airport serving the Paris Area, although it is also known as Roissy Airport. This is the principal airport for Air France, and a key destination for other legacy top airlines like Star Alliance, Oneworld and SkyTeam.
The airport is conveniently close to the Paris city center, which makes it ideal for visitors coming into the city for business or pleasure.
The following is a more extensive list of the busiest airports in the world.
| Position | Airport Name | Country | Code | Annual Passengers |
| 1 | Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport | United States | ATL | 103,902,992 |
| 2 | Beijing Capital International Airport | China | PEK | 95,786,442 |
| 3 | Dubai International Airport | United Arab Emirates | DXB | 88,242,099 |
| 4 | Los Angeles International Airport | United States | LAX | 84,557,968 |
| 5 | O’Hare International Airport | United States | ORD | 79,828,183 |
| 6 | Heathrow Airport | United Kingdom | LHR | 78,014,598 |
| 7 | Haneda Airport | Japan | HND | 76,476,251 |
| 8 | Hong Kong International Airport | Hong Kong | HKG | 72,665,078 |
| 9 | Shanghai Pudong International Airport | China | PVG | 70,001,237 |
| 10 | Charles de Gaulle International Airport | France | CDG | 69,471,442 |
| 11 | Amsterdam Airport Schiphol | Netherlands | AMS | 68,515,425 |
| 12 | Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport | United States | DFW | 67,092,194 |
| 13 | Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport | China | CAN | 65,887,473 |
| 14 | Frankfurt am Main International Airport | Germany | FRA | 64,500,386 |
| 15 | Istanbul Atatürk Airport | Turkey | IST | 63,859,785 |
| 16 | Indira Gandhi International Airport | India | DEL | Soekarno-Hatta International Airport |
| 17 | Soekarno-Hatta International Airport | Indonesia | CGK | 63,015,620 |
| 18 | Singapore Changi Airport | Singapore | SIN | 62,219,573 |
| 19 | Incheon International Airport | South Korea | ICN | 62,157,834 |
| 20 | Denver International Airport | United States | DEN | 61,379,396 |
| 21 | Suvarnabhumi Airport | Thailand | BKK | 60,860,557 |
| 22 | John F. Kennedy International Airport | United States | JFK | 59,392,500 |
| 23 | Kuala Lumpur International Airport | Malaysia | KUL | 58,558,440 |
| 24 | San Francisco International Airport | United States | SFO | 55,822,129 |
| 25 | Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport | Spain | MAD | 53,386,075 |
| 26 | Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport | China | CTU | 49,801,693 |
| 27 | McCarran International Airport | United States | LAS | 48,566,803 |
| 28 | Barcelona–El Prat Airport | Spain | BCN | 47,262,826 |
| 29 | Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport | India | BOM | 47,204,259 |
| 30 | Toronto Pearson International Airport | Canada | YYZ | 47,054,696 |
| 31 | Seattle–Tacoma International Airport | United States | SEA | 46,934,194 |
| 32 | Charlotte Douglas International Airport | United States | CLT | 45,909,899 |
| 33 | Gatwick Airport | United Kingdom | LGW | 45,561,694 |
| 34 | Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport | China | SZX | 45,558,409 |
| 35 | Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport | Taiwan | TPE | 44,878,703 |
| 36 | Mexico City International Airport | Mexico | MEX | 44,732,418 |
| 37 | Kunming Changshui International Airport | China | KMG | 44,729,736 |
| 38 | Munich Airport | Germany | MUC | 44,577,241 |
| 39 | Orlando International Airport | United States | MCO | 44,511,265 |
| 40 | Miami International Airport | United States | MIA | 44,071,313 |
| 41 | Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport | United States | PHX | 43,921,670 |
| 42 | Sydney Airport | Australia | SYD | 43,410,355 |
| 43 | Newark Liberty International Airport | United States | EWR | 43,393,499 |
| 44 | Ninoy Aquino International Airport | Philippines | MNL | 42,022,484 |
| 45 | Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport | China | SHA | 41,884,059 |
| 46 | Xi’an Xianyang International Airport | China | XIY | 41,857,406 |
| 47 | Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport | Italy | FCO | 40,968,756 |
| 48 | George Bush Intercontinental Houston Airport | United States | IAH | 40,696,189 |
| 49 | Narita International Airport | Japan | NRT | 40,631,193 |
| 50 | Sheremetyevo International Airport | Russia | SVO | 40,092,806 |
| 51 | Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport | China | CKG | 38,715,210 |
| 52 | Don Mueang International Airport | Thailand | DMK | 38,299,757 |
| 53 | St Paul International Airport | United States | MSP | 38,034,341 |
| 54 | São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport | Brazil | GRU | 37,774,000 |
| 55 | Logan International Airport | United States | BOS | 36,288,042 |
| 56 | Tan Son Nhat International Airport | Vietnam | SGN | 35,900,000 |
| 57 | Hamad International Airport | Qatar | DOH | 35,867,252 |
| 58 | Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport | China | HGH | 35,570,411 |
| 59 | Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport | United States | DTW | 34,701,497 |
| 60 | King Abdulaziz International Airport | Saudi Arabia | JED | 33,917,282 |
| 61 | Melbourne Airport | Australia | MEL | 33,704,854 |
| 62 | Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport | United States | FLL | 32,511,053 |
| 63 | Orlando Executive Airport | United States | ORL | 32,042,475 |
| 64 | Sabiha Gökçen International Airport | Turkey | SAW | 31,385,841 |
| 65 | El Dorado International Airport | Colombia | BOG | 30,989,932 |
| 66 | Moscow Domodedovo Airport | Russia | DME | 30,700,000 |
| 67 | Jeju International Airport | South Korea | CJU | 29,846,712 |
| 68 | LaGuardia Airport | United States | LGA | 29,786,769 |
| 69 | Philadelphia International Airport | United States | PHL | 29,585,754 |
| 70 | Dublin Airport | Ireland | DUB | 29,582,321 |
| 71 | Zürich Airport | Switzerland | ZRH | 29,396,094 |
| 72 | Copenhagen Airport | Denmark | CPH | 29,177,833 |
| 73 | Kansai International Airport | Japan | KIX | 27,983,093 |
| 74 | Palma De Mallorca Airport | Spain | PMI | 27,970,655 |
| 75 | Manchester Airport | United Kingdom | MAN | 27,901,708 |
| 76 | Oslo Airport, Gardermoen | Norway | OSL | 27,482,315 |
| 77 | Lisbon Portela Airport | Portugal | LIS | 26,669,755 |
| 78 | Stockholm Arlanda Airport | Sweden | ARN | 26,642,034 |
| 79 | Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport | United States | BWI | 26,369,411 |
| 80 | Antalya Airport | Turkey | AYT | 25,931,659 |
| 81 | London Stansted Airport | United Kingdom | STN | 25,904,573 |
| 82 | Nanjing Lukou International Airport | China | NKG | 25,822,936 |
| 83 | Gimpo International Airport | South Korea | GMP | 25,267,408 |
| 84 | Kempegowda International Airport | India | BLR | 25,047,272 |
| 85 | King Khaled International Airport | Saudi Arabia | RUH | 25,038,000 |
| 86 | Brussels Airport | Belgium | BRU | 24,783,911 |
| 87 | Düsseldorf International Airport | Germany | DUS | 24,640,564 |
| 89 | Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport | China | XMN | 24,485,239 |
| 90 | Vienna International Airport | Austria | VIE | 24,392,805 |
| 91 | Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport | China | CGO | 24,299,073 |
| 92 | Salt Lake City International Airport | United States | SLC | 24,198,816 |
| 93 | Vancouver International Airport | Canada | YVR | 24,166,122 |
| 94 | Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport | United States | DCA | 23,928,248 |
| 95 | Changsha Huanghua International Airport | China | CSX | 23,764,820 |
| 96 | Abu Dhabi International Airport | United Arab Emirates | AUH | 23,760,561 |
| 97 | Cancún International Airport | Mexico | CUN | 23,601,509 |
| 98 | Fukuoka Airport | Japan | FUK | 23,484,678 |
| 99 | Liuting Airport | China | TAO | 23,210,530 |
| 100 | Brisbane International Airport | Australia | BNE | 23,205,702 |
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Closing
Looking at this list of the busiest airports in the world, there is a clear correlation between the economy of a country, and the activities at its airports. This is because many people travel to a country in order to find economic opportunities. Furthermore, wealthy countries are better able to invest in the facilities which can make the airports busy.
These airports have received significant investment from their governments or other owners; which means that they did not become busy by some fortunate accident.