Top 10 busiest global airports in 2025: Indian airport featured—check its rank

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) projects that passenger numbers will reach 5.2 billion by 2025, marking an increase of 6.7% over 2024 and the first occasion surpassing the five-billion threshold.

In a notable mention, Dubai International Airport (DXB) has solidified its position as the world’s busiest airport, boasting 4.8 million available seats in 2025, according to OAG data.

This development has allowed DXB to surpass the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), which now ranks as the second-busiest airport with 4.6 million seats, reflecting a 2% capacity increase from the previous year.

Atlanta has long been recognized as the world’s most prominent passenger hub, owing to its strategic central location in the United States, making it a convenient transfer point for domestic flights.

Furthermore, London’s Heathrow Airport has firmly retrieved its last year’s standing as Europe’s busiest airport and the 5th busiest globally in 2025 with 3,857,036 seats.

Reflecting the growth of China’s aviation sector, Shanghai Pudong (PVG) makes a substantial jump from 6th rank in 2024 to 4th in 2025, while Beijing Capital (PEK) has also moved up slightly from rank 11th to 10th, re-entering the top ten list this year, 2025.

However, in contrast, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) in China has experienced the most significant reduction in capacity, with a 13% drop to 3.6 million seats in February 2025 compared to the previous year.

Global Top 10: Busiest airports in February 2025, ranked by seats (domestic and international)

Please note, as we examine the rankings of the busiest global airports for 2025 based on seating capacity, it’s essential to consider the influence of the leap year on comparisons with February 2024, ensuring that seat data is analysed accordingly for accurate year-on-year assessments.

Rank 2025	Airport Code	Airport Name	Country	Seats
1	DXB	Dubai International	UAE	4,782,140
2	ATL	Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Intl Apt	USA	4,568,544
3	HND	Tokyo Intl (Haneda)	Japan	4,222,709
4	PVG	Shanghai Pudong International Apt	China	3,993,388
5	LHR	London Heathrow Apt	UK	3,857,036
6	DFW	Dallas/Fort Worth Intl Apt	USA	3,686,564
7	IST	Istanbul Airport	Turkey	3,616,029
8	DEL	Delhi	India	3,613,762
9	CAN	Baiyun Intl (CN)	China	3,613,684
10	PEK	Beijing Capital Intl Apt	China	3,534,883

Source: OAG

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India’s Delhi Airport (Indira Gandhi International—IGI) makes the global top 10

Delhi IGI Airport (Image: newdelhiairport.in)

The Delhi Airport (DEL), named the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) in Delhi, has emerged among the top 10 busiest airports globally as of February 2025, as reported by OAG.

Ranking 8th globally with 3,613,762 seats, DEL has recorded the highest capacity growth with a 3.4% increase to 3.6 million seats, advancing to eighth place, up one position from January 2025 and two from February 2024.