Global air travel reached new heights in 2024, with passenger traffic surpassing 9.4 billion—an 8.4% increase from the previous year and exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
According to the 2025 World Airport Traffic Dataset released by Airports Council International (ACI) World, the top 20 busiest airports handled 1.54 billion passengers, accounting for 16% of global traffic.
The United States led the pack with six airports in the top 20, reflecting its robust domestic network, while New York’s JFK stood out with 56% of its passengers traveling internationally.
The new data confirms the world’s busiest airports in 2024 across three major categories: passenger traffic, air cargo volumes, and aircraft movements.
Built from over 2,800 airports across 185+ countries and territories, the dataset provides a comprehensive snapshot of global air transport demand and activity over the past year.
Among notable shifts:
Shanghai Pudong (PVG) climbed 11 positions to rank 10th globally. Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) sustained its comeback, holding 12th place after ranking 57th in 2022.
The United States contributed six airports to the top 20, mostly dominated by domestic traffic—except for JFK, where international passengers made up 56%.
