Photo: Shutterstock Aviation rating company OAG has published today (January 15, 2025) the ranking of the world's busiest airports for 2025, based on full flight schedule data between January and December 2025, compared it to data for 2024 and 2019 (prior to the Coronavirus pandemic).
The overall ranking, which includes domestic and international flights, shows a clear dominance of airports in North America and Asia, thanks to large domestic markets in the United States and China. Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson Airport maintained its first place in the world in 2025 with 63.1 million seats, an increase of 1% compared to 2024 and an almost complete return to 2019 levels.
Dubai International Airport ranked second with 62.4 million seats. Despite being busier than Atlanta in some months of the year, Dubai remained second in the annual ranking, with a growth of 4% compared to 2024 and a cumulative increase of 16% compared to 2019. Tokyo Haneda ranked third with 55.4 million seats, a stable figure compared to last year and slightly more than the year before the Coronavirus.
Other airports that recorded a notable jump are Istanbul, which rose to fifth place in the world with a growth of 6% in the past year and 22% compared to 2019, as well as Denver, which recorded the highest growth compared to 2019 with an increase of 24%.
In the international airport rankings, Dubai maintained its position as the world's busiest international airport, 13.5 million seats ahead of second-place London Heathrow. The latter ended 2025 with 49 million seats on international flights, a modest increase compared to 2024 and 4% more than 2019.
Photo: ShutterstockSeoul Incheon is in third place with 43 million seats and completing a full recovery compared to the pre-corona period, Singapore Changi is in fourth place with 42.6 million seats, while Hong Kong recorded an impressive 12% increase, although the airport is still far from 2019 figures. Istanbul also stands out here with a 27% increase compared to the pre-pandemic period, the highest figure among leading international airports.
In Europe, London Heathrow is still the continent's busiest airport with 52.1 million seats, followed by Istanbul with 51.5 million seats and an annual increase of 6%. Paris Charles de Gaulle is in third place with 43.2 million seats, but still without a return to pre-corona activity levels.
The largest growth in Europe belongs to Istanbul Gökçen Airport at 15% in 2025 and 37% compared to 2019, which illustrates its strengthening as a regional and low-cost hub. On the other hand, Frankfurt and Munich are among the airports that still have the largest gap compared to 2019, despite a recovery trend compared to the previous year.