Atlanta Joins Orlando, Los Angeles, Dallas Fort Worth, Denver, Chicago O’Hare, John F. Kennedy, and More US Airports Reporting Unprecedented Passenger Growth

Published on July 20, 2025

Orlando, Los Angeles, Dallas Fort Worth, Denver, Chicago O’Hare and JFK are the only other airports to document an increase in the number of passengers in 2024, before Atlanta joins the elite club last year. This rise in demand mirrors the ongoing resurgence of air travel, powered by domestic and international tourism. The world’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, reported a 3.3% rise in passenger numbers, establishing its place as a key hub in global aviation. The increase across these major airports reflects a larger phenomenon of increased demand for air travel, as a result of factors including stronger economic conditions, pent-up travel demand and new international flight offerings. While travelers are expected to flow into these top destinations, and the aviation sector will continue its strong growth in the coming years, marking record passenger numbers in 2024.

The latest 2024 North American Airport Traffic Summary, released by Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA), highlights impressive growth across key metrics, including passenger traffic, air cargo volumes, and aircraft movements. The data from 283 commercial airports across the United States and Canada showcases continued resilience in the face of global challenges, with notable increases in both domestic and international travel.

Passenger Traffic Soars in 2024

In 2024, North American airports saw a 4.5% overall increase in passenger traffic, continuing the upward trend seen in the past year. The surge in international travel was particularly strong, with international passenger numbers rising by 8.7%. Meanwhile, domestic travel grew by 3.8%, further underscoring the robust recovery of air travel following the pandemic’s disruptions.

Several airports in the United States remain at the forefront of global passenger traffic, with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) once again retaining its position as the busiest airport in the world. Atlanta handled 108.1 million passengers in 2024, an increase of 3.3% from the previous year. This success is a testament to the airport’s continued dominance in both domestic and international travel markets.

Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada also retained its title as the busiest airport in the country, with 46.6 million passengers, reflecting a 4.1% growth in passenger numbers from 2023.

Other U.S. airports in the top 10 included Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) with 87.8 million passengers, Denver International Airport (DEN) with 82.4 million passengers, and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) with 80 million passengers, marking substantial increases in passenger numbers year over year.

The rankings for the ten busiest airports by total passenger volume in 2024 are as follows:

1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) – 108,067,766 passengers (3.3% increase)
2. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) – 87,817,864 passengers (7.4% increase)
3. Denver International Airport (DEN) – 82,358,744 passengers (5.8% increase)
4. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) – 80,043,050 passengers (8.3% increase)
5. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) – 76,588,028 passengers (2.0% increase)
6. John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) – 63,265,984 passengers (1.9% increase)
7. Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) – 58,811,725 passengers (10.0% increase)
8. Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) – 58,482,005 passengers (1.4% increase)
9. Orlando International Airport (MCO) – 57,211,628 passengers (-0.9% decrease)
10. Miami International Airport (MIA) – 55,926,566 passengers (6.9% increase)

Cargo Volume Sees Modest Recovery

Air cargo traffic has also seen a recovery in 2024, following a decline in 2022 and 2023. Overall, cargo volume increased by 2.8%, with international air freight showing significant growth of 9.2%. However, domestic air freight faced a slight decline, down by 2.1% compared to 2023 levels.

Memphis International Airport (MEM) once again claimed the top spot as the busiest cargo airport in North America, handling 3.8 million metric tons of cargo in 2024. Despite a decrease of 3.3% from the previous year, Memphis remains the leader in cargo traffic by a considerable margin.

Other key airports in cargo handling include Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC), which saw a 9.4% increase in cargo volume, and Louisville International Airport (SDF), which recorded a remarkable 15.6% rise.

Top 10 airports for cargo volume in 2024 include:

1. Memphis International Airport (MEM) – 3,754,236 metric tons (-3.3% decrease)
2. Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) – 3,699,284 metric tons (9.4% increase)
3. Louisville International Airport (SDF) – 3,152,969 metric tons (15.6% increase)
4. Miami International Airport (MIA) – 2,753,450 metric tons (9.0% increase)
5. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) – 2,174,455 metric tons (2.0% increase)
6. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) – 2,074,006 metric tons (8.8% increase)
7. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) – 1,695,904 metric tons (-10.8% decrease)
8. John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) – 1,558,708 metric tons (5.4% increase)
9. Indianapolis International Airport (IND) – 907,868 metric tons (-7.7% decrease)
10. LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT) – 743,283 metric tons (5.4% increase)

Aircraft Movements Continue to Recover

Aircraft movements, which had sharply declined during the pandemic, have seen steady recovery in 2024. Total aircraft movements increased by 3.0%, driven by a 3.8% recovery in passenger/combination aircraft movements and a 5.3% rise in general aviation/military aircraft movements. All-cargo aircraft movements, however, saw a decrease of 2.5% compared to 2023.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport once again led the rankings with 796,224 total aircraft movements, marking a 2.6% increase from the previous year. Other top airports for aircraft movements include Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), which saw increases of 7.7% and 7.8%, respectively.

Top 10 airports for aircraft movements in 2024 are as follows:

1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) – 796,224 movements (2.6% increase)
2. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) – 776,036 movements (7.7% increase)
3. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) – 743,203 movements (7.8% increase)
4. Denver International Airport (DEN) – 689,368 movements (4.9% increase)
5. Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) – 613,973 movements (0.4% increase)
6. Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) – 596,583 movements (10.7% increase)
7. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) – 581,779 movements (1.2% increase)
8. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) – 485,745 movements (6.8% increase)
9. Miami International Airport (MIA) – 485,448 movements (5.1% increase)
10. John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) – 468,567 movements (-2.2% decrease)

The 2024 North American Airport Traffic Summary documents growth in the most areas of airport operations. The dramatic growth in passengers, cargo and aircraft across North American airports is a clear indicator that we are building the kind of flying cities that will define the 21st century. Amid growing competition and global interconnection, airports are on the cusp of developing regional growth and the economy.