3 Asian airports among world’s 10 busiest: report

By Dat Nguyen April 15, 2025 | 06:34 pm PT

Three airports in Japan, India and China were among the top 10 busiest airports globally last year, a recent study has found.

Japan's Tokyo Haneda was ranked at the fourth place with 85.9 million passengers served, a 7.4% growth from 2023, according to data by Airports Council International World, which represents over 2,100 airports globally.

In the ninth place was India's New Delhi airport, with 77.8 million passengers, up 7.8%. The airport has been thriving due to airline expansion, infrastructure growth and enhanced global connectivity, the report said.

The tenth place was secured by China's Shanghai Pudong, which recorded the highest traffic growth rate in the ranking at 41%, serving 76.8 million passengers.

Travelers walk to check-in at Delta Airlines at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on June 28, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo by AFP

The surge was fueled by "expanded visa policies, the resumption and expansion of international flights, operational enhancements, and the recovery of the Asia-Pacific region, particularly China," the report added.

The remainder of the list included several U.S. airports.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was once again named the world’s busiest airport last year.

Located in Georgia’s capital, the airport has secured the top position for 26 of the past 27 years, only briefly losing its top ranking in 2020 when passenger traffic plummeted.

The airport welcomed 108 million passengers last year, around 2% below its pre-pandemic level in 2019.

"We foresee Atlanta to be maintaining its high position for a while," Justin Erbacci, ACI World director general, told CNN.

In the second place was the United Arab Emirates' Dubai International Airport in the Middle East, which earned its second spot for the first time in 2023.

While the U.S. is home to the world’s busiest airports, Erbacci expects the most future growth in other regions.

"You will continue to see more significant growth in the Asia Pacific, India, China, Latin America regions, to some extent Africa as well."

He expects less prominent growth in the developed countries in North America and Europe.