DALLAS — Global travel data platform OAG today revealed the 2024 busiest airports, with four of the 10 busiest global hubs in the US.
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) is still the busiest global airport (based on international and domestic capacity), with 62.7 million seats. This represents a 2% increase from 2023 but is still just below 2019 levels by 1%.
Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) and Denver International (DEN) rank fifth and sixth due to significant capacity growth since 2019. Over five years, DFW's capacity has risen by 18% to 51.5 million seats, and DEN's increased by 24% to 49.2 million seats. In 2019, neither airport featured in the top ten.
Chicago O’Hare (ORD) completes the list of U.S. airports in the top ten, landing in tenth place with 47.0 million seats in 2024.
Top Global Hubs on the List
The remaining airports in the top ten span the globe, with Dubai International (DXB) second overall and the leader in international capacity.
Interestingly, DXB’s international seat capacity in 2024 was 60.2 million, compared to ATL’s 8.9 million, which shows the size and importance of the US domestic market. Tokyo Haneda (HND) is third, followed by London Heathrow (LHR) in fourth place.
China’s Guangzhou Baiyun International (CAN) and Shanghai Pudong (PVG) take 7th and 9th positions, respectively. At the same time, Istanbul Airport (IST) moved to eighth place as it further cemented its footprint as a global hub.
OAG's Global Airline Schedules Data powers the analysis, which covers operations from January to December 2024. You can find full rankings and methodology on OAG’s website.
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Exploring Airline History Volume I
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February 2025
