THE BUSIEST (AND QUIETEST) AIRPORTS IN THE WORLD

There’s nothing worse than arriving at the airport, ready to relax on holiday, and instantly being hit with a wave of stress at the length of the line at check-in.

Now, the most crowded airports in the world have been named – and the location taking the title as the world’s busiest might surprise you.

At number one is Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, which has an impressive 5,207,792 seats booked throughout April.

The main international airport serving Atlanta in the US state of Georgia, it covers 4,700 acres (equal to 19km) of land and has five runways – three of which are a staggering 9,000 feet long.

Just over 1,000 flights a day take off from here, with its Delta hub constituting both the world’s largest airline hub and the first mega-hub in the United States.

In second place is Dubai International Airport with 4,879,128 passengers scheduled across April, a destination that serves both as a hub for tourists and a layover site for those travelling onwards to the likes of Australia and South East Asia.

In fact, by international passenger traffic, Dubai is technically the world’s busiest airport – but Atlanta beat it to it based on April’s statistics.

In third place was Tokyo International Airport with 4,460,693 seats, according to the new data from OAG Aviation Worldwide, and in fourth was the beloved London Heathrow Airport with 4,253,739.

The largest of the six international airports that form the London airport system, in 2022, Heathrow was actually the second busiest airport in the world based on international passenger traffic. In 2023, it was the world’s busiest.

An estimated 1,300 flights take off from Heathrow each day, with a plane landing every 45 seconds on average. That’s a whole lotta cargo!

However, have you ever wondered which airports are actually the quietest in the world?

Though not part of April’s data, according to insurance company Expatriate Healthcare, one of the quietest is Schiphol in Amsterdam.

With the Eurostar now running all the way to Amsterdam, the Dutch capital is very well connected – so much so that it’s possibly having an impact on the airport’s footfall.

Likewise, Bristol and El Prat Airport in Spain are equally quiet. Though it’s technically an international airport (and flies to destinations including New York, Tenerife and Lisbon), Bristol is quieter than its other UK counterparts.

In 2023, though, it experienced a record number of passengers, serving almost 10 million people.

So, the next time you book a flight, keep how busy – or how quiet – the airport is in mind. You could be in for a shocker of a queue (or lack thereof) when you get there.

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing [email protected].

For even more unmissable travel news, features and inspiration in your inbox each week, sign up to Metro's The Getaway newsletter

2024-04-19T12:18:51Z dg43tfdfdgfd