Ranking of the world’s busiest airports in 2023

A British Airways Airbus A319 takes off from London Heathrow Airport on May 17, 2021.

John Sibley | Reuters

A resurgence in international travel last year helped airports from London to Tokyo rise in global passenger traffic rankings.

Dubai International Airport ranks second in 2023, up from fifth in 2022 and fourth in 2019, according to preliminary rankings released by Airports Council International on Monday. Tokyo Haneda International Airport, which saw a 55% increase in passenger traffic last year compared to 2022, ranked fifth, up from 16th a year ago.

Citing preliminary data, ACI said global airports handled 8.5 billion passengers last year, a 27% increase from 2022 but still about 6% below pre-pandemic figures.

The resurgence of international travel is a bright spot for airlines with large international networks, while domestically focused ultra-low-cost U.S. carriers have struggled in recent months. Domestic airports in the U.S. continue to see significant growth in passenger numbers, but some airports have slipped in the rankings compared with mid-pandemic, when international travel restrictions restricted long-distance outbound travel.

Nearly 78 million passengers used Denver International Airport last year, a 12% increase from 2022, but the airport serves as a major hub United Airlinesfalling from third to sixth place in the ACI rankings.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Delta AirlinesACI said the largest hub airport once again topped the list of busiest airports, serving 104.7 million passengers.

Here are the 2023 rankings (2022 rankings in brackets):