Dubai Airport World's Busiest for 2024 in Global Travel

Photo: WAM

Dubai International Airport has once again kept its title as the world’s busiest airport for international travelers in 2024. This information comes from a new report shared by Airports Council International (ACI) World.

According to the report, nearly 9.5 billion passengers flew around the world in 2024. This number is 9% more than in 2023, and 3.8% more than the number of people who flew in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 10 busiest airports in the world handled around 855 million passengers in total. That’s about 9% of all global air traffic. These airports saw an 8.8% increase in passengers compared to 2023 and an 8.4% rise compared to 2019, when they had 789 million passengers.

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The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the United States kept its number one spot as the world’s busiest airport overall. It was followed by Dubai International Airport in second place and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in third.

In addition to passenger traffic, air cargo — goods and packages flown by air — also went up. In 2024, over 124 million metric tonnes of cargo were moved by air. This is 8.4% more than in 2023, and 3.9% more than in 2019.

Justin Erbacci, the Director General of ACI World, said that even with many global challenges, these major airports have continued to work strongly. He said, “These airports are very important. They help connect people, move goods, and support trade and businesses around the world. As more people fly, ACI World is ready to help airports make sure everything runs smoothly.”

This shows that airports are not just travel hubs — they are key parts of the world’s economy, helping people and products get where they need to go.