International Passenger Traffic: Dubai International Airport Retains Top Spot

Dubai International Airport has retained its status as the world’s busiest airport in terms of international passenger traffic for 2024. The number of travelers handled by the airport reached 92.3 million and marked 6.1% year-over-year increase. As per the report released by Airports Council International (ACI) World, 2024 global total passengers are close to 9.5 billion, indicating an increase of 9% from the previous year.

The top 10 busiest airports, representing 9% of global traffic (855 million passengers), witnessed a gain of 8.8% from 2023, reported Emirates News Agency. Meanwhile, air cargo volumes are estimated to have increased by 8.4% year-over-year (+3.9% versus 2019) to over 124 million metric tonnes in 2024. In terms of domestic travel, Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport continued to be the world's busiest, followed by Dubai International Airport and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The report noted that key challenges such as economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, and capacity constraints are expected to increasingly shape the industry’s trajectory.