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The unexpected, full-day closure of London’s Heathrow Airport on March 21, caused by a fire in a nearby electrical substation, left approximately 200,000 travelers stranded and scrambling to adjust their plans. As one of the world’s busiest and most internationally connected airports, Heathrow warned of continued “significant disruption” and advised passengers to avoid the airport until it reopens.
In light of recent events, discover the top 10 busiest airports worldwide, ranked by passenger traffic, based on data from the Airports Council International in 2023.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, has consistently ranked as the busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic. In recent years, up to 104 million passengers passed through the airport.
As of March 2025, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson has moved up a place to become the busiest global airport, with 5.4 million available seats—reflecting a 3% increase in capacity compared to March 2024, according to the global travel data platform OAG, which calculates this based on total airline capacity (domestic and international flights).
Dubai International
Atlanta is followed closely by Dubai International with almost 87 million passengers.
Dallas Fort Worth International
Dallas Forth Worth International in Texas saw almost 82 million passengers.
London Heathrow
London Heathrow’s ranking fluctuates, but it has seen about 79 million passengers in recent years.
Following the fire incident on March 21, a spokesperson stated, “As the busiest airport in Europe, Heathrow uses as much energy as a small city, therefore getting back to a full and safe operation takes time,” according to CBS.
A spokesperson after the fire incident on March 21 noted that “as the busiest airport in Europe, Heathrow uses as much energy as a small city, therefore getting back to a full and safe operation takes time,” according to CBS.
While Heathrow may not be the busiest airport in terms of available seats on scheduled flights, it holds the title of the best-connected airport in the world, according to OAG. This is measured by the total number of destinations served and scheduled connections. Heathrow is also correctly recognized as Europe’s busiest airport in terms of seat availability.
Around 12 hours after the shutdown, Heathrow released a statement confirming it was reopening. However, travelers were advised to only go to the airport if their airline instructed them to, per CBS News.
“We will now work with the airlines on repatriating the passengers who were diverted to other airports in Europe,” the updated statement indicated. “We hope to run a full operation tomorrow and will provide further information shortly.”
Tokyo-Haneda International
Toyko was slightly under 79 million at around 78.7.
Denver International Airport
Denver International Airport saw around 77.8 million passengers.
Istanbul Airport
Istanbul Airport recorded 76 million.
Los Angeles International
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) had 75 million passengers.
Chicago O’Hare International
Chicago O’Hare International Airport saw 73.9 million.
Delhi Airport
Delhi Airport rounded out the list with 72.2 million passengers.
Together, these 10 airports represent 10% of global air traffic.
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