Global air passenger traffic rises as Atlanta and Dubai lead rankings

air passenger traffic airport rankings aviation industry global air travel tourism connectivity

Global air travel saw significant movement in 2025, with Airports Council International (ACI World) reporting approximately 9.8 billion passengers, a 3.6% increase from 2024. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport maintained its position as the world's busiest airport, handling 106,302,208 travelers, despite a 1.6% decrease from the previous year.

Dubai International Airport ranked second with 95,192,160 passengers, marking a 3.1% growth and strengthening its role as a major hub between Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Tokyo Haneda Airport took third place, serving 91,679,814 passengers.

In Mexico, airport passenger traffic reached 128.3 million between January and August 2026. Of this total, 86.8 million were domestic passengers and 41.5 million were international. Notable growth was recorded in Querétaro (11.7%), the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) (9.6%), and Mérida (7.0%).