Top 10 Busiest Passenger Airports in 2022
The numbers are in and according to Airports Council International (ACI) the Atlanta Hartsfield (ATL) airport reclaims its #1 winning position in regards to the most passengers and aircraft movements. Overall, 2022 global aircraft movements are close to 89 million, translating to a gain of 20.4% over the 2021 numbers.
The new top 10 busiest airports for passenger traffic reflects the resilience of the airport and aviation industry, and the eagerness of passengers to travel by air. While US airport hubs were able to recover quicker due to their strong domestic market, we are now witnessing global hubs joining upper ranks—including Dubai, Istanbul, and London Heathrow airport.
Luis Felipe de Oliveira (ACI World Director)
Aircraft Movements
| Airport (Code) | Movements | 2021 Rank | 2021 Change |
| 1. Atlanta (ATL) | 724,145 | 1 | 2.3% |
| 2. Chicago (ORD) | 711,561 | 2 | 4% |
| 3. Dallas (DFW) | 656,676 | 3 | 0.7% |
| 4. Denver (DEN) | 607,786 | 4 | 4.6% |
| 5. Las Vegas (LAS) | 581,116 | 7 | 19.4% |
| 6. Los Angeles (LAX) | 556,913 | 6 | 9.9% |
| 7. Charlotte (CLT) | 505,589 | 5 | -2.8% |
| 8. Miami (MIA) | 458,478 | 9 | 18.2% |
| 9. New York (JFK) | 448,847 | 27 | 54.4% |
| 10. Istanbul (IST) | 425,890 | 33 | 52% |
There was substantial growth in international travel and more recovery from the 2019 levels. Combined the top ten airports had a massive 5,677,001 operations.
Passengers Travelled
| Airport (Code) | Passengers | 2021 Rank | 2021 Change |
| 1. Atlanta (ATL) | 93,699,630 | 1 | 23.8% |
| 2. Dallas (DFW) | 73,362,946 | 2 | 17.5% |
| 3. Denver (DEN) | 69,286,461 | 3 | 17.8% |
| 4. Chicago (ORD) | 68,340,619 | 4 | 26.5% |
| 5. Dubai (DXB) | 66,069,981 | 27 | 127% |
| 6. Los Angeles (LAX) | 65,924,298 | 5 | 37.3% |
| 7. Istanbul (IST) | 64,289,107 | 14 | 73.8% |
| 8. London (LHR) | 61,614,508 | 54 | 217.7% |
| 9. Delhi (DEL) | 59,490,074 | 13 | 60.2% |
| 10. Paris (CDG) | 57,474,033 | 31 | 119.4% |
The top 10 airports were split between the United States and the rest of the world. Dubai, Istanbul, London Heathrow, New Delhi, and Paris were all added to the top ten after moving drastically from their 2021 numbers. Across the top ten airports over 679 million passengers traveled in 2022.
Closing Thoughts
These numbers look great from a profit and recovery standpoint. When I see New York (JFK) had a growth of 54.4% in aircraft movements it triggers a warning for upcoming summer travel. I think with this increase aircraft movements there will capacity issues to keep an eye on in the upcoming months.
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