Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has reclaimed the top spot as the busiest airport in the world, according to a report released Monday by Airports Council International.
The preliminary data for 2021 include passenger traffic, cargo volumes, and aircraft movement, according to ACI.
Total global air passengers in 2021 are estimated to be close to 4.5 billion, according to ACI’s data. That represents an increase of almost 25% from 2020, when the pandemic brought much air travel to a halt.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, with 75.7 million passengers recorded, reclaimed the top spot for the busiest airport in 2021. Eight of the top 10 busiest airports were U.S. based with Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Chicago, Los Angeles, Charlotte, Orlando and Las Vegas making the top 10. Two airports in China also made the top 10 list for 2021.
As CNN noted, new pandemic-related travel restrictions in 2021 depressed China’s air travel numbers, which allowed more U.S. airports to dominate the top 10 list.
The U.S. has the world’s largest domestic travel market, according to CNN.
Check out the complete 2021 report on the Airports Council International website.