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Busiest Global Airports By Seats in 2025: In today’s highly interconnected world, advancements in technology and infrastructure have built seamless interactions between individuals and locations globally.
Airports have become pivotal hubs for global connectivity, facilitating travel across nations and cities, particularly as the aviation sector rebounds from recent challenges.
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.
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
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.
