Airports Council International (ACI) World has published the latest World Airport Traffic Dataset, confirming the top 20 busiest airports in the world and revealing airport passenger movement rankings for over 2,600 airports across more than 180 countries and territories.
ACI collects airport traffic every year through its network of airport operator members, investors and aviation stakeholders. The data set enables users to filter through accurate and reliable numbers that can be segmented on a regional, national and airport level and by traffic type.
Global total passengers surpassed 6.6 billion in 2022, an increase of 43.8% on 2021, or a recovery of 72.5% versus pre-pandemic results in 2019. The top 20 airports for global passenger traffic represent 18% of global traffic (1.2 billion passengers). The rankings welcome back some of the world’s largest airport hubs as international traffic returns. The global share of international traffic increased from 25.3% in 2021 to 38.4% in 2022. From the top 20 rankings, 10 airports are in the USA. Almost all have significant domestic passenger shares (between 75%-95%).
According to the report, the biggest jump in the top 20 rankings is recorded for Heathrow Airport, leaping from 54th to 8th as all travel restrictions were lifted by the UK government in March 2021 after two years of impediment.
Luis Felipe de Oliveira, director general of ACI World, said, “In the face of cost pressures and tight labor markets, the world’s airports continue to serve the public’s thirst to travel by air. Airports have once more proven their resiliency as reflected in the key findings from the ACI World Airport Traffic Dataset. As always, reliable data remains fundamental to our advocacy and development of timely airport guidance. Airports and aviation stakeholders must continue to focus wholeheartedly on building a safe, secure, efficient and environmentally sustainable air transport system fit to welcome the doubling of passengers that will travel through our doors in the next two decades.”
To find out more about ACI’s latest developments, click here.
