Atlanta Airport still the world’s biggest – just! – as Beijing closes rapidly
The busiest airports of the world
In 2013 Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airport will lose its title of “busiest airport of the world”, according to the Capa Center for Aviation & Innovata’s annual rankings. Hartsfield-Jackson airport is still the busiest on the planet and still welcomes the most travelers, but this position is under threat from Beijing. The busiest European airport in terms of travelers is Londron Heathrow.
United Airlines, following its merger with Continental, has ended 2012 as the world’s biggest airline measured by available seat kilometres, ahead of second placed Delta, whose capacity fell 0.3% year on year, according to Innovata. Fast growing Dubai-based carrier Emirates is the world’s third biggest airline by this measure, and could be in second place by the end of 2013 if the past year’s growth rates are maintained.
Top 30 Airports, ranked by seats per week*
1 ATL Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport Total Seats: 1,927,531
2 PEK Beijing Capital International Airport Total Seats: 1,918,574
3 HND Tokyo Haneda Airport Total Seats: 1,813,291
4 LHR London Heathrow Airport Total Seats: 1,668,272
5 DXB Dubai International Airport Total Seats: 1,587,901
6 LAX Los Angeles International Airport Total Seats: 1,442,395
7 HKG Hong Kong International Airport Total Seats: 1,435,824
8 CGK Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Total Seats: 1,428,587
9 ORD Chicago O’Hare International Airport Total Seats: 1,390,176
10 SIN Singapore Changi Airport Total Seats: 1,388,096
11 CDG Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport Total Seats: 1,374,546
12 DFW Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Total Seats: 1,357,687
13 BKK Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Total Seats: 1,184,100
14 FRA Frankfurt Airport Total Seats: 1,173,033
15 JFK New York John F Kennedy International Airport Total Seats: 1,166,772
16 CAN Guangzhou Baiyun Airport Total Seats: 1,161,996
17 DEN Denver International Airport Total Seats: 1,144,936
18 KUL Kuala Lumpur International Airport Total Seats: 1,111,481
19 PVG Shanghai Pudong Airport Total Seats: Total Seats: 1,091,377
20 IST Istanbul Ataturk Airport Total Seats: 1,075,389
21 CLT Charlotte Douglas Airport Total Seats: 999,452
22 ICN Seoul Incheon International Airport Total Seats: 986,851
23 PHX Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Total Seats: 979,012
24 MIA Miami International Airport Total Seats: 966,980
25 SFO San Francisco International Airport Total Seats: 950,316
26 SYD Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport Total Seats: 934,711
27 AMS Amsterdam Airport Schiphol Total Seats: 934,284
28 DEL Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport Total Seats: 906,331
29 IAH Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport Total Seats: 904,217
30 MAD Madrid Barajas Airport Total Seats: 898,417
Source: CAPA – Centre for Aviation & Innovata
*31-Dec-2012 to 06-Jan-2013, System traffic.
