This US airport has reclaimed its title as the busiest in the world

Make room, Guangzhou. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia is once again the globe's busiest airport.

In 2020, the US airport fell from its No. 1 position to No. 2 in passenger traffic, overtaken by Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China, ending Atlanta’s 22-year reign at the top.

However, according to the 2021 rankings released by Airports Council International, ATL has regained its top spot, signaling a recovery from the drastic decline in air travel during the pandemic.

In 2021, Atlanta's airport saw 75.7 million passengers, a remarkable 76% increase from 2020, though still nearly 32% below the pre-pandemic levels of 2019.

Guangzhou's airport fell to No. 8 in 2021, handling 40.3 million passengers. Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in China ranked ninth, dropping from No. 3 in 2020.

US airports dominated the 2021 passenger traffic rankings, with eight out of the top 10 airports located in the United States.

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in Texas secured the second spot in 2021, with 62.5 million passengers, while Denver International Airport ranked third with 58.8 million passengers.

Chicago O'Hare and Los Angeles International rounded out the top five rankings.

Luis Felipe de Oliveira, director general of ACI World, commented that the rankings reflect “an encouraging trend of recovery” in the aviation sector.

“While we remain cautious about potential challenges to recovery, the momentum from countries' reopening plans could spur a rise in travel during the latter half of 2022,” de Oliveira noted.

In 2021, global passenger numbers reached an estimated 4.5 billion, according to ACI. This marked a nearly 25% increase compared to 2020, though it still represented more than a 50% decline from 2019.

In 2020, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China surpassed Atlanta's airport to become the world's busiest. However, in 2021, it fell to No. 8.

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China overtook Atlanta's airport in 2020 to claim the title of the world's busiest, but by 2021, it had dropped to No. 8. Tian Jianchuan/Xinhua/ZUMA Press

US and China airports have swapped positions in the rankings.

As domestic travel recovered much faster than international travel, airports that were previously far down the list of the world’s busiest have now surged into the top 10.

Charlotte, North Carolina (No. 6); Orlando, Florida (No. 7); and Las Vegas (No. 10) are newcomers to the top 10 this year. Orlando and Las Vegas, both popular vacation spots, ranked No. 31 and No. 30 in passenger traffic before the pandemic in 2019.

The strong presence of US airports in the top 10 marks a shift from 2020, when Chinese airports occupied seven of the top 10 positions.

China's dominance in 2020 was driven by the rapid recovery of domestic travel, while the country still had not reopened to international visitors.

“Looking back at 2020, China was among the first to recover from the initial pandemic waves and nearly reached full recovery by year’s end,” said Patrick Lucas, ACI World’s vice president for economics.

In 2021, domestic air traffic in China saw a significant decline due to renewed lockdowns, while the United States experienced a notable increase in traffic.

The United States boasts the largest domestic travel market in the world, followed by China.

Airports that were typically fixtures in the top 10 of the world’s busiest list, like Dubai International, London Heathrow, and Paris Charles de Gaulle, have been missing throughout the pandemic.

“Markets with a high share of international traffic were especially impacted by the restrictions and quarantine measures,” said Lucas.

The significant role of international traffic explains why Beijing Capital and Shanghai Pudong airports have dropped out of the top 10. Beijing Capital, which was once consistently No. 2, is also facing increased competition from the city’s new Daxing International Airport.

Dubai International Airport, which handles a significant share of international traffic, fell out of the top 10 busiest airports in 2021. However, it maintained its position as the world’s busiest airport for international passengers that year.

Despite dropping from the top 10 busiest airports in 2021, Dubai International Airport remained No. 1 for international passenger traffic.

Lifting restrictions

ACI is pushing for a “risk-based approach” to easing travel restrictions, guided by Covid-19 data, according to Lucas.

“Vaccines have essentially become the passport for travel, but as we can see now, many major markets are reopening and countries are realizing that restricting travel doesn’t effectively solve the problem,” he stated.

“If anything, it only causes more harm, disrupting the socioeconomic benefits of air travel, tourism, and related sectors,” he explained.

ACI anticipates that global passenger traffic will return to pre-pandemic levels by 2024.

However, strong domestic markets, particularly in the United States, are expected to fully recover by 2023, while markets heavily reliant on international traffic won’t bounce back until 2025, according to Lucas.

Worldwide, there are “contrasting forces pulling in different directions,” Lucas noted.

On one hand, there is a surge in pent-up demand and the easing of travel restrictions, while on the other, rising travel costs and geopolitical issues, particularly in Eastern Europe, are creating uncertainty, Lucas added.

Overall, ACI remains optimistic. “We believe passengers will continue to travel, despite the rising costs,” Lucas remarked.