Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson holds top spot as world's busiest airport

Justin Erbacci, Director General of ACI World, praised the resilience of the largest global airports amid economic and geopolitical challenges. He explained that these hubs play key roles in trade, commerce, and connectivity. Despite obstacles, such as supply chain issues and aircraft delivery delays, the air travel market is expected to continue growing in 2025, with ACI prepared to support its members.

The association noted threats like tariffs and geopolitical tensions could disrupt global trade and indirectly affect travel demand. Nevertheless, as global air traffic is projected to hit 9.9 billion in 2025, ACI cited potential slowdowns due to more stable growth patterns replacing surge-driven recovery.

Emerging markets, on the other hand, could experience expansion due to infrastructure investments and growing middle-class travel demand. According to ACI, the industry will need to focus on financial viability, infrastructure investment, operational efficiency, and sustainability.

Looking ahead, data from Cirium's Diio Mi tool anticipates Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta providing 64.1 million one-way seats in 2025, with Dubai following at 61.2 million. Tokyo-Haneda potentially rounds out the top three with 55.3 million scheduled seats. These figures remain subject to change, especially with carriers like Frontier Airlines yet to finalize post-August schedules.