Rewrite this content and keep HTML tags, correct grammar, do not rewrite words starting with capital letters, separate the sections of text longer than 20 words
Punta Cana, RD.- The panorama of the busiest airports in the world in 2024 reflects the recovery and sustained growth of the airline sector after the global challenges of recent years. Leading this dynamic is the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), which, with 62.7 million seats, retains its position as the busiest on the planet, closely followed by giants such as Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND).
The list of the world's main airports has a diverse geographical distribution, with notable hubs in North America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Furthermore, the return of air capacity to pre-pandemic levels, along with significant growth in places such as Shanghai-Pudong (PVG) and Istanbul (IST), underlines the resurgence of key markets.
In this report, we will explore the latest data on the busiest airports, comparing their performance with 2019 and 2023, and highlighting the trends that are redefining global air travel.
The busiest airport in 2024 was Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), with 62.7 million seats. It also ranked first in 2023 and 2019.
Air capacity at ATL increased 2% compared to 2023, but was below 2019 levels by 1%.
The second busiest airport in the world was Dubai International Airport (DXB), with 60.2 million seats.
DXB airline capacity has grown significantly from 2023, with seats increasing by 7% year-on-year. Capacity increased by 12% compared to 2019.
In third place was Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) with 55.2 million seats, a capacity increase of 5% compared to 2023.
The geographical distribution of the most active airports was broad: four in North America, three in Asia, two in Europe and one in the Middle East.
In 2024, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) was ranked as the fifth busiest airport, while Denver International Airport (DEN) ranked sixth.
Both airports surpassed their 2019 performance, with capacity increases of 18% at DFW and 24% at DEN, marking the largest growth among the top ten airports. Additionally, compared to 2023, DFW and DEN expanded their capacity by 7% and 5% more seats, respectively.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) recorded the fastest growth among the top ten airports, with a 29% increase in capacity compared to 2023. This is largely due to the ongoing recovery of air travel in China after the global pandemic. As a result, PVG moved from 15th to ninth in 2024.
Compared to 2019, the 2024 busiest global airports included four new additions:
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), which ranked fifth in 2024 and 13th in 2019,
Denver International Airport (DEN), which ranked 6th in 2024 and 21st in 2019,
Guangzhou Baiyun Airport (CAN), which ranked 7th in 2024 and 12th in 2019,
Istanbul Airport (IST), which ranked 8th in 2024 and 16th in 2019.