Top 10 busiest airports by passenger traffic in 2024-25: Guess which Indian airport ranks 9th globally
Top 10 busiest airports by passenger traffic in 2024-25 list: After several years of disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, the aviation industry is experiencing a recovery in passenger numbers, finally surpassing the levels seen in 2019. Global passenger traffic is forecast to reach 9.9 billion in 2025, reflecting a 4.8 per cent year-over-year growth rate.
About 9.5 billion passengers travelled worldwide last year, marking a 3.8% increase compared to pre-pandemic figures in 2019 and a 9% rise from 2023, according to the Airports Council International (ACI) World report.
The United States remains at the forefront of global passenger traffic, with five of the top ten busiest airports located within the country. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport retains its title as the busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic, followed closely by Dubai International Airport in 2024.
Remarkably, China's Shanghai Pudong International Airport moved from 21st place in 2023 to 10th in 2024, primarily due to its expanded visa policies, the resumption and growth of international flights, operational improvements, and a resurgence in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in China.
According to the report, the world's top ten busiest airports account for 9% of global air traffic (approximately 855 million passengers) and experienced an 8.8% increase from 2023 and an 8.4% rise compared to their performance in 2019, when they served 789 million passengers.
Enlisted below are the top 10 busiest airports in the world by total passenger traffic recorded in 2024 by Airports Council International (ACI) World:
Source: Airports Council International (ACI) World | *Total passengers enplaned and deplaned, passengers in transit counted once | Data Year: 2024
As of 2024, New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) has emerged as the busiest airport in India and globally, surpassing Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM), which recorded 52,820,754 passengers that year.
Since 2019, DEL has experienced significant growth due to airline expansions, infrastructure improvements, and enhanced global connectivity, which has led it to be recognised as the Best Airport in India and South Asia in the 2025 Skytrax Best Airport Rankings.
Cherry Gupta is an Assistant Manager - Content at The Indian Express. She is responsible for crafting compelling narratives, uncovering the latest news and developments, and driving engaging content based on data and trends to boost website traffic and audience engagement. One can connect with her on LinkedIn or by mail at cherry.gupta@indianexpress.com. ... Read More
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