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Home » Latest » C-Suite Intelligence » These are the 20 busiest airports in the world based on total passenger traffic in 2016

C-Suite Intelligence

These are the 20 busiest airports in the world based on total passenger traffic in 2016

Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson International Airport handled more than 104 million travellers in 2016, making it – still – the busiest airport in the world based on total passenger traffic.

The figure, released this week by the Airports Council International, represents growth of 2.6% on 2015. It has topped the rankings every year since 1998.

Beijing Capital International  Airport and Dubai International Airport are another non-movers at number two and three respectively, followed by Los Angeles International at number 4, Tokyo Haneda Airport at number 5, and O’Hare International in Chicago at number 6.

London’s Heathrow Airport, Hong Kong International, Shanghai Pudong International Airport in China, and France’s Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport complete the top 10.

Here are the 20 busiest airports in the world based on total passenger traffic, in 2016:

  1. Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), United States
    Passenger numbers 2016: 104,171,935 passengers (up 2.6%)
    Rank in 2015: 1st
  2. Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), China
    Passenger numbers 2016: 94,393,454 passengers (up 5%)
    Rank in 2015: 2nd
  3. Dubai International Airport (DXB), United Arab Emirates
    Passenger numbers 2016:  83,654,250 passengers (up 7.2%)
    Rank in 2015: 3rd
  4. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), United States
    Passenger numbers 2016: 80,921,527 passengers (up 8%)
    Rank in 2015: 7th
  5. Tokyo International Airport, commonly known as Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND), Japan
    Passenger numbers 2016: 79,699,762 passengers (up 5.5%)
     Rank in 2015: 5th
  6. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), United States
    Passenger numbers 2016: 77,960,588 passengers (up 1.3%)
    Rank in 2015: 4th
  7. London Heathrow (LHR), United Kingdom
    Passenger numbers 2016: 75,715,474 passengers (up 1%)
    Rank in 2015: 6th
  8. Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), Hong Kong
    Passenger numbers 2016: 70,305,857 passengers (up 3%)
    Rank in 2015: 8th
  9. Shanghai Pudong International Airpor (PVG), China
    Passenger numbers 2016: 66,002,414 passengers (up 9.8%)
    Rank in 2015: 13th
  10. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), France
    Passenger numbers 2016: 65,933,145 passengers (up 0.3%)
    Rank in 2015: 9th
  11. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), United States
    Passenger numbers 2016: 65,670,697 passengers (up 0.2%)
    Rank in 2015: 10th
  12. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), Netherlands
    Passenger numbers 2016: 63,625,534 passengers (up 9.2%)
    Rank in 2015: 14th
  13. Frankfurt Airport (FRA), Germany
    Passenger numbers 2016: 60,786,937 passengers (down 0.4%)
    Rank in 2015: 12th
  14. Istanbul Atatürk Airport (IST), Turkey
    Passenger numbers 2016: 60,119,876 passengers (down 1.9%)
    Rank in 2015: 11th
  15. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN), China
    Passenger numbers 2016: 59,732,147 passengers (up 8.2%)
    Rank in 2015: 17th
  16. John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York (JFK), United States
    Passenger numbers 2016: 58,873,386 passengers (up 3.5%)
    Rank in 2015: 15th
  17. Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), Singapore
    Passenger numbers 2016: 58,698,000 passengers (up 5.9%)
    Rank in 2015: 16th
  18. Denver International Airport, United States
    Passenger numbers 2016: 58,266,515 passengers (up 7.9%)
    Rank in 2015: 19th
  19. Incheon International Airport, Seoul (ICN), South Korea
    Passenger numbers 2016: 57,849,814 passengers (up 17.1%)
    Rank in 2015: 22nd
  20. Suvarnabhumi Airport (or Bangkok International Airport) (BKK), Thailand
    Passenger numbers 2016: 55,892,428 passengers (up 5.7%)
    Rank in 2015: 20th

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Prof. Dr. Amarendra Bhushan Dhiraj, Ph.D., DBA
Prof. Dr. Amarendra Bhushan Dhiraj, Ph.D., DBA, is a publishing executive and economist who serves as CEO and Editor-in-Chief of CEOWORLD Magazine, one of the world's most influential and widely read business publications. He also chairs its Advisory Board, shaping the magazine’s editorial vision and global strategy.

Dr. Amarendra earned his Ph.D. in Finance and Banking from the European Global School, Paris, a Doctorate in Chartered Accountancy from the European International University, Paris, and a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) from Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design (KNUTD), Ukraine. He also holds an MBA in International Relations and Affairs from the American University of Athens, Alabama.

Equal parts economist, strategist, and publishing visionary, Dr. Amarendra has built CEOWORLD Magazine into a trusted platform where CEOs, executives, and high-net-worth leaders turn for ideas that matter and insights that last.


Prof. Dr. Amarendra Bhushan Dhiraj, Ph.D., DBA, serves on the Executive Council at CEOWORLD Magazine. Follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter for insights, or explore his official website to learn more about his work.