And the world’s busiest airport is …

Katia Hetter, CNN
2 minute read
Updated 10:41 AM EDT, Fri October 3, 2014
Qatar Airways Flight 755 an Airbus A380 inaugural flight from Doha to Atlanta arrives on June 1, 2016.
Video Ad Feedback
By the numbers: Atlanta's airport
01:13 - Source: CNN
Best of Travel 16 videos
Qatar Airways Flight 755 an Airbus A380 inaugural flight from Doha to Atlanta arrives on June 1, 2016.
Video Ad Feedback
By the numbers: Atlanta's airport
01:13
Now playing
- Source: CNN
Australian Surfers found
Video Ad Feedback
See the moment surfers are found after 38 hours lost at sea
00:43
Now playing
- Source: CNN
rome largo argentina julius caesar site
Video Ad Feedback
Why this assassination site has become a tourism hotspot in Rome
02:06
Now playing
- Source: CNN
Dangerous Airport 03
Video Ad Feedback
Pilot explains what it's like to fly into the world's 'most dangerous' airport
01:52
Now playing
- Source: CNN
another tourist defaces colosseum
Video Ad Feedback
See moment tour guide catches teenager defacing ancient landmark
00:46
Now playing
- Source: CNN
Nude Beach Thumb 3
Video Ad Feedback
Nudist explains what you should definitely not do at a nude beach
02:23
Now playing
- Source: CNN
cheap flight packing hacks 01
Video Ad Feedback
Woman attempts to get on plane with viral packing trick. See the result
01:44
Now playing
- Source: CNN
The MSG Sphere illuminates the Las Vegas skyline with a display to celebrate Independence Day as the Exosphere is fully lit up for the first time, as seen from the Metropolis, on Tuesday, July 4, 2023. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Video Ad Feedback
It seats 18,000 and cost over $2B to build. See Vegas' new venue lighting up the skyline
00:54
Now playing
- Source: CNN
chance encounters animation card 1
Video Ad Feedback
Meet the couples who fell in love while traveling
04:50
Now playing
- Source: CNN
Seattle hot tub boat space needle amazon starbucks boeing innovation spc_00003801.png
Video Ad Feedback
This city has given us things we now can't live without
05:22
Now playing
- Source: CNN
first footage titanic lon orig 1
Video Ad Feedback
Video: First footage of the Titanic wreck released
01:05
Now playing
- Source: CNN
Boeing 747 DV 1
Video Ad Feedback
Boeing 747: How the 'Queen of the Skies' redefined the way we fly
02:52
Now playing
- Source: CNN
algerian store tz
Video Ad Feedback
Why this London coffee shop attracts customers from around the world
02:58
Now playing
- Source: CNN
yakutsk russia extreme cold lon orig na
Video Ad Feedback
See what life is like inside one of the world's coldest places
01:14
Now playing
- Source: CNN
jfk planes
Video Ad Feedback
Radar animation shows near-miss between 2 passenger planes at JFK
01:45
Now playing
- Source: CNN
Lauren Davis, excavation manager of the southern district at the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), shows discovered ostrich egg fragments dating over 4000 years old next to an ancient fire pit at a site in the dunes near Nitzana along the Israel-Egypt border in the western Negev desert on January 12, 2023. (Photo by GIL COHEN-MAGEN / AFP) (Photo by GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP via Getty Images)
Video Ad Feedback
4,000-year-old eggs discovered near ancient fire pit
00:47
Now playing
- Source: CNN

Story highlights

The United States is still home to world's busiest airport

Worldwide air passenger numbers increased to 6.3 billion in 2013

The top six airports in the world remained the same as last year

Dubai jumped three spots to finish in seventh place

CNN  — 

It’s probably no surprise to anyone who has flown through Atlanta that the city’s airport is still the busiest passenger airport in the world.

Some 94.4 million passengers went through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in 2013, a decrease of 1.1% from 2012, according to Airports Council International’s latest passenger traffic results for 2013.

Beijing Capital International Airport was in second place with 83.7 million passengers in 2013, an increase of 2.2% over 2012.

London Heathrow Airport remained in third place with 72.4 million passengers, an increase of 3.3%, according to ACI, the worldwide association of airports.

It was a regular day at the world's busiest airport, complete with the messes and victories of everyday life. On August 28, 2013, CNN spent 24 hours at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. See everything we found at <a href="http://cnn.com/atl24">CNN.com/ATL24</a>.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
It was a regular day at the world's busiest airport, complete with the messes and victories of everyday life. On August 28, 2013, CNN spent 24 hours at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. See everything we found at CNN.com/ATL24.
David Walter Banks for CNN
Passengers wait for flights in the International Terminal.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
Passengers wait for flights in the International Terminal.
Kendrick Brinson for CNN
The interior of a cargo plane is barren as it awaits loading at the airport's UPS facility.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
The interior of a cargo plane is barren as it awaits loading at the airport's UPS facility.
John Nowak/CNN
Friends and family wait for Holly Houston in the arrivals lobby of the Domestic Terminal.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
Friends and family wait for Holly Houston in the arrivals lobby of the Domestic Terminal.
Kendrick Brinson for CNN
People ride an escalator near Concourse E.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
People ride an escalator near Concourse E.
Raymond McCrea Jones for CNN
Shannon Nevin, 4, waits with her family at gate A21 for a flight to Savannah, Georgia.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
Shannon Nevin, 4, waits with her family at gate A21 for a flight to Savannah, Georgia.
Raymond McCrea Jones for CNN
A view out the window on the upper level of Concourse D.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
A view out the window on the upper level of Concourse D.
David Walter Banks for CNN
A server at One Flew South heads to the kitchen.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
A server at One Flew South heads to the kitchen.
Raymond McCrea Jones for CNN
Tiffanie Barriere serves a drink behind the bar at One Flew South on Concourse E.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
Tiffanie Barriere serves a drink behind the bar at One Flew South on Concourse E.
Raymond McCrea Jones for CNN
People pass through the Domestic Terminal atrium.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
People pass through the Domestic Terminal atrium.
Kendrick Brinson for CNN
Sgt. Vito Wallace exits the elevator and heads into the Domestic Terminal atrium.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
Sgt. Vito Wallace exits the elevator and heads into the Domestic Terminal atrium.
Jeremy Freeman/CNN
Mi Ja Choi sits in the atrium of the Domestic Terminal. Police say they don't know how she was injured. Repeated attempts to follow up with her or her family have been unsuccessful.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
Mi Ja Choi sits in the atrium of the Domestic Terminal. Police say they don't know how she was injured. Repeated attempts to follow up with her or her family have been unsuccessful.
Jeremy Freeman/CNN
Medic 3 -- a 10-year-old ambulance -- sits outside Fire Station 32, next to the tarmac near Concourse A.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
Medic 3 -- a 10-year-old ambulance -- sits outside Fire Station 32, next to the tarmac near Concourse A.
Jeremy Freeman/CNN
Passengers are reflected in the ceiling of the Domestic Terminal atrium.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
Passengers are reflected in the ceiling of the Domestic Terminal atrium.
David Walter Banks for CNN
A MAC Cosmetics trainee applies makeup to employee Ashley White.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
A MAC Cosmetics trainee applies makeup to employee Ashley White.
David Walter Banks for CNN
Jodi Ferrill and her five children wait for a connecting flight to Denver.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
Jodi Ferrill and her five children wait for a connecting flight to Denver.
Kendrick Brinson for CNN
A corkboard full of military patches and souvenirs is mounted to the wall of a Starbucks near a security checkpoint. Employees say troops who come through the airport offer the patches as a way of saying thanks, since the coffee shop won't let them pay.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
A corkboard full of military patches and souvenirs is mounted to the wall of a Starbucks near a security checkpoint. Employees say troops who come through the airport offer the patches as a way of saying thanks, since the coffee shop won't let them pay.
Raymond McCrea Jones for CNN
William Talton cleans the baggage carousels.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
William Talton cleans the baggage carousels.
Jeremy Freeman/CNN
A floor cleaner's power cable crosses the carpet.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
A floor cleaner's power cable crosses the carpet.
John Nowak/CNN
A beagle named Vince helps customs officers with inspections.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
A beagle named Vince helps customs officers with inspections.
Mark Hill/CNN
Customs officers check the serial numbers of weapons that arrived on a flight from Johannesburg. It's hunting season in South Africa.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
Customs officers check the serial numbers of weapons that arrived on a flight from Johannesburg. It's hunting season in South Africa.
Mark Hill/CNN
Officer Michael Payne, known as Goob, is a member of the Atlanta Police Department's Bomb Tech Squad.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
Officer Michael Payne, known as Goob, is a member of the Atlanta Police Department's Bomb Tech Squad.
Brandon Ancil/CNN
Pipes, cables and pumps line the interior of a wheel well on a Southwest Airlines plane.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
Pipes, cables and pumps line the interior of a wheel well on a Southwest Airlines plane.
John Nowak/CNN
Delta First Officer Michael Maier does an external inspection of a Delta 777 plane.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
Delta First Officer Michael Maier does an external inspection of a Delta 777 plane.
Kendrick Brinson for CNN
The air traffic control tower offers a 360-degree view of the runways.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
The air traffic control tower offers a 360-degree view of the runways.
David Walter Banks for CNN
Inside the Federal Aviation Administration's Terminal Radar Approach Control, or TRACON, Ken Hunihan monitors the systems that air traffic controllers use, including radar antennas and communication towers.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
Inside the Federal Aviation Administration's Terminal Radar Approach Control, or TRACON, Ken Hunihan monitors the systems that air traffic controllers use, including radar antennas and communication towers.
Edythe McNamee/CNN
Packages are sorted at the FedEx cargo facility.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
Packages are sorted at the FedEx cargo facility.
Edward M. Pio Roda/CNN
A FedEx worker moves containers full of packages at the cargo facility.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
A FedEx worker moves containers full of packages at the cargo facility.
Edward M. Pio Roda/CNN
Airport employees take part in the annual Foreign Object Debris, or FOD, removal walk.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
Airport employees take part in the annual Foreign Object Debris, or FOD, removal walk.
Edward M. Pio Roda/CNN
Passengers take the escalator to ground transportation and baggage claim.
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport —
Passengers take the escalator to ground transportation and baggage claim.
Kendrick Brinson for CNN
ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport

Tokyo International Airport (Haneda), Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport were in fourth, fifth and sixth places respectively, rankings that remained unchanged from 2012. Dubai jumped from 10th to seventh place with 66.4 million passengers last year and a 15% increase in traffic.

Passengers wait in line at the customs checkpoint inside the International Terminal at the Atlanta Airport.
Video Ad Feedback
CNN embeds in the world's busiest airport
02:30 - Source: CNN
natpkg orig atl24 life of one plane jtb_00025414.jpg
Video Ad Feedback
Life of one plane
04:35 - Source: CNN
natpkg.orig.ATL24.tsa.precheck.race_00002830.jpg
Video Ad Feedback
The TSA race to the gate
03:14 - Source: CNN
natpkg.orig.atl24.tower_00002903.jpg
Video Ad Feedback
Tales from the air traffic control tower
03:34 - Source: CNN

“With many major economies remaining in a fragile state, 2013 can best be characterized as a year of unstable recovery for the global economy,” said Angela Gittens, ACI’s director general, in a Wednesday press statement.

“Despite this challenging operating climate, worldwide traffic surpassed the 6 billion passenger mark in 2013,” Gittens said. “This represents an enormous feat for the airport industry as we commemorate the 100th anniversary of commercial aviation in 2014.”

Paris dropped from seventh to eighth place, Dallas/Fort Worth was ninth and Jakarta, Indonesia, was in tenth place.

#ATL24: Behind the scenes at the world’s busiest airport

Passenger traffic grew around the world last year, with the world’s airports serving 6.3 billion passengers in 2013, up 4.6% from 2012, according to the report.

Atlanta’s airport also ranked first in airplane movements (takeoffs and landings), with 911,000 movements last year. O’Hare came in second with 883,000 movements and LAX was third with 696,000 movements. Rounding out that list were DFW; Denver; Beijing; Charlotte, North Carolina; Las Vegas; Houston and Paris.

Hong Kong’s airport is still the busiest cargo airport in the world, transporting nearly 4.2 million metric tons of cargo last year. Memphis, Tennessee, home to FedEx, came in second with 4.1 million metric tons. Shanghai was third with 2.9 million metric tons. (One metric ton is 2,205 pounds.)

The ACI World Airport Traffic Report was based on reports from nearly 2,000 airports in 160 countries worldwide.