Dubai International Airport (DXB) retained the title of the World’s Busiest International Airport with 60.2 million seats in 2024 after achieving the title in 2023 and 2019. DXB’s airline capacity grew significantly since 2023 with seats increasing by 7 percent year-on-year. Capacity was also up 12 percent compared to pre-pandemic 2019.
The latest report from OAG also revealed that DXB was the second Busiest Airport globally in 2024 following Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport which held the top spot in 2023 and 2019. OAG calculates the Busiest Airports in the world using total airline capacity, including both domestic and international flights. Meanwhile, the Busiest International Airports are calculated using international airline capacity only.
DXB’s notable achievement for 2024 reflects the UAE’s role as a major player in the global aviation sector. The General Civil Aviation Authority recently revealed that the UAE recorded over 1 million air traffic movements last year, positioning itself as a global aviation hub with a strategic location, advanced infrastructure and efficient operational systems.
Top 10 busiest international airports in 2024
Following DXB came London Heathrow Airport (LHR) as the second busiest international airport with 48.4 million seats. Airline capacity has increased by 4 percent compared to 2023. Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN) moved up four places to be the third busiest international airport with 41.6 million seats. ICN saw capacity grow by 24 percent in 2024 compared to 2023 but fell slightly behind 2019 by 2 percent.
Singapore Changi (SIN) ranked fourth with 41,530,309 seats and Amsterdam (AMS) ranked fifth with 39,998,853. In comparison to 2019, Istanbul Airport (IST) saw the largest growth in airline capacity, increasing by 20 percent to 38.6 million seats and taking sixth place.
In seventh place came Paris Charles de Gaulle which saw a 5 percent increase in seat capacity to 38,482,460. Then came Frankfurt International in eighth place with 35,736,533 seats.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) had the biggest increase in capacity among the Top 10 busiest international airports in 2024 compared to 2023, growing by 40 percent, making it the ninth busiest airport. However, HKG is still 23 percent behind 2019 levels.
In tenth place came Qatar’s DOH which was the only other airport from the GCC region to be among the top 10 with 32.455 million seats, an annual increase of 13 percent. Doha airport declined from 9th place in 2023 to 10th in 2024.
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Top 10 Busiest Airports in 2024
The Busiest Airport in 2024 was Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) with 62.7 million seats. It also held the top spot in 2023 and 2019. Airline capacity at ATL increased by 2 percent compared to 2023, but was below 2019 levels by 1 percent.
The second busiest airport globally was DXB. In third place was Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) with 55.2 million seats, a capacity increase of 5 percent compared to 2023. London Heathrow ranked 4th last year.
In 2024, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) ranked as the fifth busiest airport, while Denver International Airport (DEN) held the sixth position. Both airports surpassed their 2019 performance, with capacity increases of 18 percent at DFW and 24 percent at DEN, marking the highest growth among the top ten airports.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) saw the most rapid growth among the top ten airports, with a 29 percent increase in capacity compared to 2023. This is largely due to China’s ongoing air travel recovery following the global pandemic. As a result, PVG moved from the 15th busiest global airport in 2023 to the ninth busiest in 2024.
In comparison to 2019, the Busiest Global Airports of 2024 included four new additions. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) ranked fifth in 2024 and 13th in 2019 while Denver International Airport (DEN) came in sixth in 2024 and 21st in 2019. Guangzhou Baiyun Airport (CAN) ranked seventh in 2024 and 12th place in 2019 and Istanbul Airport (IST) came in eighth in 2024 and 16th in 2019.
In the tenth place came Chicago O’Hare International with 46,992,360 seats. The airport’s capacity grew 8 percent compared to 2023 but witnessed a 7 percent decline compared to 2019 when it ranked sixth globally.
