The 10 Busiest Airports in the World: See Where Your Home Airport Ranks

The busiest airports in the world welcome thousands of travelers each year, and if you’re traveling through one, you’ll be part of the crowd! If you’re curious to see where your home airport ranks on the list of the busiest airports in the world, check out this list to see where the top ten are located. Then use our list to plan your next vacation, whether it’s to one of these spots or somewhere else entirely!

1) Introduction

Travelling is often one of life’s greatest pleasures, but there are few experiences as frustrating as trying to get through a major airport. These days, air travel has become more streamlined—but airports themselves have only gotten bigger and busier. Check out our list below to see where your home airport ranks amongst the most bustling airports in the world!

2) What is included?

Here are a few important details to consider when planning your trip. Most of these will help you understand what your plans should be prior to traveling to that particular airport. For instance, one may require parking reservations, while another may not have any nearby hotels or rental cars available. Being informed and prepared ahead of time can be very helpful!

3) What makes an airport busy?

There are many factors that determine an airport’s level of traffic, but there is a strong correlation between size and number of passengers. Because larger airports typically feature direct flights to more locations, they tend to see higher traffic counts. In 2017, for example, Los Angeles International Airport handled more than 90 million passengers—the highest of any U.S. airport. Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson took second place with just over 95 million total passengers.

4) Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)

With over 90 million passengers a year, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is by far America’s busiest airport. It serves nearly as many passengers as all other U.S. airports combined! Over 1,300 daily flights connect ATL to more than 125 domestic and international destinations worldwide.

5) Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK)

According to data compiled by Airports Council International, Beijing Capital International is Asia’s busiest airport, followed by Bangkok’s and Shanghai Pu dong. Together, these three airports accounted for more than 21 million passengers last year—that’s almost as many people as live in California.

6) Dubai International Airport (DXB)

17.4 million passengers per year (2015) ; The largest airport in Asia by number of passengers handled and by area covered; No. 1 for international passengers; Dubai International serves as one of three main hubs for Emirates, and is also a hub for low-cost carrier Dubai,

7) King Khalid International Airport (RUH) – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

RUH is a busy hub for Saudi, which is Saudi Arabia’s Located about 12 miles from downtown Riyadh, RUH has two terminals with a total of 44 air bridges and four runways. It was built in 1983 and initially served 2 million passengers per year. By 2013, that number had increased to 14 million annual fliers. Most flights are international, but RUH does have several domestic routes serving Jeddah and Dam mam.

8Are O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Chicago, Illinois

A whopping 70 million passengers travel through O’Hare each year, which is more than any other airport on Earth. In fact, it’s so busy that there are three terminals and five concourses—just to deal with all those people. This also makes O’Hare one of the most expensive airports to fly out of; baggage handling alone costs $5 per bag. On top of that, if you want your luggage delivered quickly, you have to pay an extra $7 for priority service.

9) Shiva Maharajah International Airport (BOM), Mumbai, India

With 55 million passengers passing through every year, Mumbai’s airport is amongst the busiest airports in Asia. In fact, it is one of only five airports around the world that ranks within the top 25 of all busiest airports worldwide. Located on India’s west coast, Mumbai Shiva Maharajah International Airport serves as an important air gateway for India and other surrounding countries.

10)London Heathrow Airport(LEHR), London, United Kingdom

Just shy of 70 million passengers went through London Heathrow Airport last year. The UK’s main gateway has been plagued by delays and cancellations, but it’s not just Heathrow where British Airways (BACK) has suffered. BACK cancelled 20,000 flights between March and May 2018 alone – that’s one every three minutes – due to a botched crew scheduling system.