Travel / air travel World's 10 Busiest Airports Atlanta remains No. 1, while Dubai is a surprise No. 2 By John Johnson, Newser Staff Posted Apr 15, 2024 4:06 PM CDT Copied Travelers move through the B terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) An annual ranking of the busiest airports around the world is out, and Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International retained the No. 1 ranking it has held for more than two decades, reports CNN. More of a surprise was that Dubai's airport jumped from No. 5 to No. 2 last year to its highest-ever position. Here are the top 10 from Airports Council International: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, Georgia (ATL): 104.7 million passengers; up 11.7% from 2022 Dubai, United Arab Emirates (DXB): 87 million; up 31.7% Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas (DFW): 81.8 million; up 11.4% London Heathrow, United Kingdom (LHR): 79.2 million; up 28.5% Tokyo Haneda, Japan (HND): 78.7 million; up 55.1% Denver, Colorado (DEN): 77.8 million; up 12.3% Istanbul, Turkey (IST): 76 million; up 18.3% Los Angeles, California (LAX): 75.1 million; up 13.8% Chicago O'Hare, Illinois (ORD): 73.9 million; up 8.1% Delhi, India (DEL): 72.2 million; up 21.4% "The global total passenger forecast for 2023 stands close to 8.5 billion, reflecting a remarkable recovery of 93.8% from pre-pandemic levels," reads the ACI report. That figure is up 27.2% from 2022. One particularly notable spike was with Tokyo Haneda, which rose from No. 16 to No. 5 in the rankings. (More air travel stories.) Report an error