Each of the highest ranked airports has recorded year-on-year capacity growth

Key Findings:

• Four of the busiest airports are in North America, three are in Asia, two are in Europe and one in the Middle East.
• Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) leads with an impressive 29% year-on-year capacity growth, the highest among the Top 10.
• New entrants to the Top 10 Since 2019: Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW), Denver International Airport (DEN), Guangzhou Baiyun Airport (CAN) and Istanbul Airport (IST).

LONDON, Jan. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OAG, the leading data platform for the global travel industry, today has unveiled its annual ranking of the world’s busiest airports for 2024.

Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) continues to lead as the world’s busiest global (international + domestic capacity) airport with 62.7 million seats. Capacity at ATL has increased by 2% compared to 2023 but is still just below 2019 levels by 1%.

Dubai International Airport (DXB) is second busiest and also the leader in international capacity, increasing seats by 7% year-on-year to 6.2 million. Tokyo Haneda (HND) is in third with 55.2 million seats, a 5% increase on 2023, followed by London Heathrow (LHR) in fourth place.

London Heathrow Airport (LHR) in fourth place had 51.5M seats and is the busiest airport in Europe, followed by Istanbul (IST) and Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG).

In the US Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) and Denver International (DEN) have significantly boosted their capacities by 18% and 24% respectively, earning their fifth and sixth places in the rankings.

China’s Guangzhou Baiyun International (CAN) and Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) take 7th and 9th position, as China’s air capacity continues to recover from the impacts of the global pandemic. PVG is the fastest growing Top 10 airport with capacity growth of 29% propelling it from 15th to 9th position over the year.

Istanbul Airport (IST) moves up to eighth place, reflecting its growing importance as a global hub.

OAG’s Chief Analyst, John Grant commented:
“With growth across all regions of the world, the ten busiest airports once again reflect the strong recovery in the aviation sector in the last two years. From the successes in Dallas Ft Worth and Guangzhou to the more recent rapid recovery in capacity at Shanghai Pudong, airlines continue to power ahead with new routes and services despite the supply chain challenges of the post pandemic world.”

Find full rankings and methodology on OAG’s website.

About OAG

OAG is a leading data platform for the global travel industry offering an industry-first single source for supply, demand, and pricing data. 

Media Enquiries: pressoffice@oag.com

Key Trends:

• Capacity Recovery: Airports like Shanghai Pudong (PVG) and Seoul Incheon (ICN) are experiencing rapid post-pandemic recovery, benefiting from increased demand and easing restrictions.
• North America’s Expansion: Strong growth from DFW and DEN highlights shifting dynamics in global air travel hubs.
• Middle East Dominance: Dubai (DXB) remains a dominant player, leading the world in international capacity.