List of busiest airports by passenger traffic

The world's busiest airports by passenger traffic are measured by total passengers (data from Airports Council International), defined as passengers enplaned plus passengers deplaned plus direct-transit passengers. Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport has held the top spot as the world's busiest airport each year since 1998 (with the exception of 2020, when it was temporarily unseated by Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.)^[1] Atlanta regained the top position in 2021.^[2][3] and has held it since. Alternatively, London has the world's busiest city airport system by passenger count.

As of 2022, the United States accounts for the top four busiest airports in the world. Eight countries have at least two airports in the top 50, with the United States at 19, Turkey with three; and France, Germany, India, Mexico, Spain, and the United Kingdom with two airports each.^[4] In terms of regions, North America has 22 airports in the top 50, followed by Europe at 11, Southeast Asia and West Asia each at five, East Asia, South Asia and South America each at two, and Oceania has one.