Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport(ATL) is the world’s busiest airport for passenger traffic. It was knocked off the number one spot briefly during the pandemic, but it gained it back again in 2021. The airport has been the busiest in the world, stretching as far back as 1998. In 2024, the airport processed 108.1 million passengers, according to the Airports Council International World.

One might be surprised when thinking that London Heathrow Airport(LHR), Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT) or Dubai International Airport (DXB) might be larger and busier but ATL is North America’s largest and indeed, the world’s busiest airport in 2025. ATL gained its status through geography and leadership success. Let’s find out more about this airport in this guide.

A Little Bit Of History

In 1920, William Hartsfield, who would eventually become mayor, garnered the support of the local community in building the airport. He also encouraged newly fledged aviation companies to start their business there. Coca-Cola founder Asa Candler donated the land for the project, with the sole purpose of building an airport. The former speedway track had a five-year lease and was renamed Candler Field.

Business leaders were seeing the importance of aviation and the local economy. Hartsfield had already noticed how much the railroads had benefited the region and expected that aviation would do the same. It was his dream to build the airport and he championed the efforts right from the start. He was a strong supporter of investments in the airport. The first flight into the airport was on September 15, 1926, a Florida Airways mail plane from Jacksonville, Florida.

In May 1928, Pitcairn Aviation based its aircraft there and in June 1930, Delta Air Service started operations. Later, these would become Eastern Air Lines and Delta Air Lines who would both use the airport as its chief hub. Delta Air Lines first trial service was from Birmingham, Alabama to Atlanta and became a permanent route. Eastern Air Lines inaugurated the first continuous passenger service from Atlanta to New York. Later, Delta Air Lines added the Dallas Fort Worth to Atlanta route.

The Airport’s Milestones In The Early Days

In the 1940s, the two main carriers at the airport were Eastern Air Lines and Delta Air Lines. They both gave their aircraft to the military in support of World War II and instead focused on training engineers and pilots. The number of take-offs and landings that took place during this time was already shaping the status of the world’s busiest airport. The airport had doubled in size during this period and a record 1,700 take-offs were reported in just one day.

In 1961, a $21 million new modern jet-age style terminal was opened, and it was the largest in the United States. It had six pier concourses from a central building and could handle six million passengers a year. Within a year, nine and a half million passengers had passed through the airport. Following on in the 1980s, a new terminal was built, and it was, at the time, the largest in the world. Local mayor, Maynard Jackson, was very keen to promote the airport and helped arrange the upgrade of the new terminal building. The airport was designed to accommodate 55 million passengers and covered 2.5 million square feet. A further runway was built in 1984, and another was extended.

In September 1994, Concourse E opened and in 1996, the atrium was added. The airport was renamed in 2003 as Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to honor the ex-mayors and airport champions. In the 2000s, the Center of Innovation in Aerospace was built and promotes the region as a desirable location for aviation companies. A new runway was added in 2006 and this helped to further expand its success.

It’s All In The Numbers

OAG says that Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest global airport for international and domestic capacity with 62.7 million seats. Capacity increased by 2% in 2024 compared to 2023 but is below 1% of 2019 levels. According to Travel and Leisure, Dubai International Airport was the second busiest with 60.2 million seats and grew by 7% from the previous year. Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) came third with 55.2 million seats in 2024.

In the US, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport(DFW) was the second busiest airport followed by Denver International Airport (DEN) and Chicago O’Hare International Airport(ORD), who all made it into the top ten busiest airports in the world. Just in terms of sheer scale, the Atlanta airport has 393 concessions, including retail, food and beverage and service stores and there are 197 airport gates. There are a total of five runways, including the longest one at ATL, at 12,390 feet, which is capable of handling the Airbus A380.

Passengers can fly from Atlanta to 157 domestic airports and 40 international airports. There are more than 2,500 arrivals and departures daily at the airport, according to Atlanta Magazine, around two per minute. That works out at 5.2 million seats on the aircraft arriving and departing every day. In 2024, there were 796,224 flights with a total of 108.1 million passengers, making it the busiest airport in the world.

Why The Airport Works

The fact that there is no local competition is an advantage and contributes to its success. For example, New York is population dense in comparison and has three major airports. The Atlanta metropolitan area is the sixth most populated in the US. As cities grow, more airports are built, but in this case, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport does not need any more airports and can stand alone. It also has strong transportation links from the airport to the business centers within the city. Atlanta is within a two-hour flight of 80% of the US population.

The nearest major airports are Nashville International Airport (BNA) and Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), which are around 250 miles away and too far away to be competitive. Most people take a long drive to Atlanta’s airport because there is often no other viable option. The airport has an efficient design, meaning that an aircraft can land at the furthest runway but still be at the furthest gate within ten minutes. All five runways run parallel, so that 250 aircraft can operate in an hour.

The airport’s location is also part of its success. It has always had the space to grow and expand. It was set 10 miles south of Downtown Atlanta, but could grow outwards, and the land was relatively flat. Airports like those in New York cannot expand and is surrounded by water. Airspace is another issue; once again, using New York as an example, the three major airports have airspace constraints, whereas Atlanta does not.

Delta’s Contributing Factors In Expansion

Delta Air Lines has its headquarters at the airport, and in 1955, it created the hub and spoke network, allowing passengers to transfer to further destinations. Mergers with other airlines meant Delta Air Lines could expand their fleet both domestically and internationally, along with the airport expansion. Atlanta became a gateway for international travel.

In 2025, Delta Air Lines scheduled 968 flights daily, departing for 215 destinations. It is the second-largest airline in the world with its hub in Atlanta. In 2023, the airline connected 51 million passengers through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, more than the total number of passengers at San Francisco International Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

The airline accounts for 70% of traffic at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Delta Air Lines has a significant number of domestic flights and includes 60 international destinations. Its partnerships with Air France and Virgin Atlantic help connect passengers to worldwide destinations.

Final Thoughts

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has held its record for the busiest airport in the world since 1998, except in 2020, during the pandemic. There are many reasons why the airport has been so successful, including its location, the airport’s efficient design, the catchment area, and the ability to expand with demand. Delta Air Lines’ hub and spoke model allowed the airline to grow along with the airport until it became the world’s second-largest airline.

The airport handled 17 million more passengers in 2023 than Dubai International Airport, its closest rival. London Heathrow was the busiest airport in Europe, but was still behind Atlanta by 25 million. In 2023, the airport handled 105 million passengers, and in 2024, 108.1 million passengers, but previously in 2019, they handled a record 110 million passengers.

Although there is competition with other airports, it is unlikely that the airport will lose its crown as the busiest airport in the world anytime soon. Its history shows that, as far back as the 1940s, its status was already seeing more take-offs and landings than any other airport. The airport is also known for having more connecting passengers than any other airport. Over time, the airport has expanded as it has the space to do so and without any restrictions, and no doubt it will continue to do so.