Let’s start with the top 3 busiest airports
Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL)
For the past two years, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) was named the busiest airport in the United States and the world. In 2023, ATL had 61,226,507 seats, over 4 million more than the second-busiest airport in the world, Dubai International Airport (DXB), which had 57 million seats.
In comparison to 2022, airline capacity at the airport increased by 12% and is only 3% below 2019. ATL was previously the busiest global airport with 54,909,716 seats in 2022 and 63,312,822 seats in 2019. Over a billion passengers were served by ATL from 2012 to 2022. Delta Air Lines, which has its hub at ATL, filled many of these seats.
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
Despite coming in fifth place globally, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) takes second place among US airports with 48,083,921 seats. In 2023, DFW featured an 11% increase from 2022 levels and a 10% increase from 2019. However, as of 2022, DFW ranked third globally.
Despite that, it is still a significant improvement from 2019 when ranked in the thirteenth slot. American Airlines, which has its primary hub at the airport, helped with this ranking with most of their seats and the airline’s over 800 daily departures account for most of its operation.
Denver International Airport (DEN)
Denver International Airport (DEN) rounded out the top three and ranked sixth globally in 2023, with 46,743,622 seats. The airport also experienced a 13% increase from 2022 levels and an impressive 17% increase from 2019.
Although it fell in the global rankings, in 2022, it ranked fifth, but as with DFW, it is still a significant improvement over its ranking of twenty-first in 2019. Over the past summer, United Airlines operated 450 daily departures to more than 150 destinations from its hub in Denver, despite its primary base in Chicago.
Finishing up with 4th and 5th busiest airports
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
A mere 14% decrease from 2019 levels was recorded at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which ranks fourth on the list of busiest airports in the United States in 2023. Even so, LAX still saw an 11% increase from 2022 levels. While LAX retained its position as the eighth-busiest airport globally for the second year in a row, it still dropped in the global rankings from 2019, when it was ranked the fifth-busiest airport.
Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
With 43,708,796 seats in 2023, Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) rounds out the top five. ORD grew by 6% from 2022 levels but still fell 14% from 2019. However, the airport fell in the global rankings as it fell to ninth busiest in 2023, down from sixth in 2019 and 2022.
