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Journalism of Courage
Top 10 busiest airports in the world 2024-25: Airports across the globe are witnessing a sharp rebound in international passenger traffic, which crossed 9.4 billion in 2024, according to the Airports Council International (ACI) World 2025 report.
Driven by a resurgence in travel demand, international passenger traffic rose 8.4 per cent compared to 2023 and 2.7 per cent over 2019 levels, finally surpassing the pre-pandemic era.
Retaining its top position, Dubai International Airport (DXB) was once again the world’s busiest airport for international passengers, handling over 92 million travellers in 2024, a seven per cent jump from 2019.
London Heathrow Airport (LHR) followed in second place, maintaining its long-held position with 79.2 million passengers, reflecting a 4.1 per cent increase since 2019.
Among the fastest risers was South Korea’s Incheon International Airport (ICN), which climbed from 7th in 2023 to 3rd in 2024, driven by a strong 26.7 per cent year-on-year growth, signalling robust recovery in the Asia-Pacific region.
Istanbul Airport (IST) also stood out, jumping from 14th place in 2019 to 7th in 2024, a remarkable 59.1 per cent increase. Meanwhile, Hamad International Airport in Doha (DOH) entered the top 10, moving from 15th to 10th with a 35.9 per cent surge in international passenger traffic.
On the flip side, Frankfurt Airport (FRA), ranked 8th, recorded a 10.9 per cent decline compared to 2019, the largest drop among the top 20 airports.
ACI has reported that the top 20 airports in the world processed 1.54 billion passengers, accounting for 16 per cent of global air traffic.
The overall data for 2024 indicates a significant shift in global air travel, with exceptional year-on-year growth and rebounds in Asia and the Middle East. In contrast, traditional Western hubs have shown signs of stagnation and a slower pace of recovery.
| Rank (2024) | Airport Name | Airport (Code) | Country | Passengers (2024) |
| 1 | Dubai International Airport | DXB | UAE | 92,331,506 |
| 2 | London Heathrow Airport | LHR | UK | 79,194,330 |
| 3 | Incheon International Airport | ICN | South Korea | 70,669,246 |
| 4 | Singapore Changi Airport | SIN | Singapore | 67,063,000 |
| 5 | Amsterdam Schiphol Airport | AMS | Netherlands | 66,825,240 |
| 6 | Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport | CDG | France | 64,469,356 |
| 7 | Istanbul Airport | IST | Turkey | 62,975,429 |
| 8 | Frankfurt Airport | FRA | Germany | 56,185,219 |
| 9 | Hong Kong International Airport | HKG | Hong Kong | 54,032,776 |
| 10 | Hamad International Airport (Doha) | DOH | Qatar | 52,714,976 |
Source: Annual World Airport Traffic Dataset, 2025 by Airports Council International (ACI)
Although American airports largely topped the ACI’s list of the busiest airports based on total passenger traffic, John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) held the title of the busiest airport in the United States.
Ranked 19th with 35.3 million international passengers, it reflects a modest increase of 2.7 per cent compared to 2019.
None from India made it to the list; however, the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in the national capital handled 77,820,834 passengers in total, improving its ranking to the 9th position from 10th in 2023, in the ACI total passenger traffic rankings.
