Quantcast

North America's busiest airports ranked by seat capacity for August 2025

Routes & Networks Latest: Rolling Daily Updates (W/C Sept. 22, 2025)
First new Qantas Airbus jets come with one toilet for every 90 economy passengers – worse than Jetstar, Scoot and Ryanair
Breeze Airways becomes the first new US flag carrier in a decade — just as rival Spirit fights its 2nd bankruptcy
Airport runway close calls spur hopes for wider adoption of cockpit alert technology
Family sues American Airlines over deadly crash near National Airport
United Airlines briefly grounds all flights in US, Canada for second time in 2 months
2025 Air Canada flight attendants strike
Spirit Airlines preparing to furlough one-third of its flight attendants
‘Hypocrisy’ and ‘blackmail’: Ryanair’s feud with Spain
Exclusive: Turkey's surprise Air Europa deal came down to one key thing: control
Major airline launches exciting new route from Scotland to popular US location
Airlines fear carbon tax as flagship climate scheme develops holes
Ryanair scraps three Vienna routes, demands lower taxes and fees
Turkish Airlines has no intention of raising stake in Spain's Air Europa, chairman says
US lawmakers want Trump to reinstate delay compensation plan for air travelers
IATA pushes to raise international pilot retirement age to 67
US orders Delta and Aeromexico to dissolve their partnership over fairness concerns in Mexico
Southwest’s New Wheelchair Policy Will Require Passengers to Remove 1 Item Before Boarding — What to Know
Aviation expansion: IndiGo to start direct Mumbai-Copenhagen flights from Oct 8; marks entry into Nordics - The Times of India
Major change for ALL Aer Lingus passengers flying from busy airport to offer 'modern and streamlined' experience
Southwest Airlines adds Sonoma County in California expansion - The Points Guy
Routes & Networks Latest: Rolling Daily Updates (W/C Sept. 8, 2025)
Delta Sees Record Premium Seats in '26, Main Cabin Flat or Down
Southwest requiring removal of batteries from mobility devices before boarding
Qantas’ milestone move for huge, new planes
EasyJet to launch 11 new flight routes from small UK airport named the best in Europe
Tycoon unveils £25 billion rival Heathrow expansion plan
Boeing and Airbus ground green plane projects
50 New Routes Launching In September 2025
JetBlue's Network Shake-Up: Its Top 10 Routes This Month
North America's busiest airports ranked by seat capacity for August 2025
Policy
Webp ohare
Chicago O'Hare International Airport | Official Website

Every day, airports across North America handle thousands of flights, connecting travelers to domestic and international destinations. The volume of operations varies widely, with some airports functioning as major hubs that operate continuously and serve as important connectors for passengers and cargo.

The latest data from OAG, measured by the total number of available airline seats for August 2025, provides insight into which North American airports are the busiest. This metric considers all seats on both domestic and international flights arriving at or departing from a given airport, reflecting each facility's overall capacity and connectivity.

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) in Georgia continues to lead as the busiest airport in North America and globally by available seat capacity. "Atlanta has continuously ranked as one of the busiest airports in the world when measured by passenger traffic, which has been contributed to by the immense presence, the hometown airline, Delta Air Lines plays at the airport. The airport is home to the SkyTeam carrier, which has its global corporate headquarters here." American low-cost carriers such as Frontier Airlines, Southwest, and Spirit also have significant operations at ATL. For August 2025, OAG reports more than 5.4 million available seats at Atlanta.

Get the Newsletter
Sign-up to receive weekly round up of news from Sky Industry News
By submitting, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By providing your phone number you are opting in and consenting to receive recurring SMS/MMS messages, including automated texts, to that number from our short code. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to end. SMS opt-in will not be sold, rented, or shared.

Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) ranks second in North America this year with over 4.6 million available seats—a rise from third place last year. The airport operates four terminals with a combined total of 215 gates and serves numerous airlines including United Airlines, American Airlines, Lufthansa, British Airways, JetBlue, and Spirit Airlines. O'Hare features eight runways—more than any other civilian airport worldwide—and maintains a robust cargo network.

Denver International Airport (DEN) is third on the list with more than 4.3 million available seats this August. DEN covers 33,531 acres—making it the largest airport in the Western Hemisphere by land area—and features six operational runways including North America's longest public runway at 16,000 feet. Denver serves as a hub for United Airlines as well as low-cost carriers Southwest and Frontier.

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) follows closely behind Denver with over 4.3 million available seats but drops to fourth place compared to last year’s ranking. DFW covers 17,207 acres—second only to Denver in size—and features six terminals serving 224 passenger gates. American Airlines accounts for over two-thirds of DFW’s operations according to Bureau of Transportation data; this figure rises further when including subsidiary Envoy Air.

Other metrics such as passenger traffic numbers—including those connecting through an airport—as well as aircraft movements and freight volumes can also be used to assess an airport's activity level.

Globally outside North America, Dubai International Airport (DXB) leads with more than 5.3 million international passengers expected this August due largely to Emirates’ extensive network. Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND), Istanbul Airport (IST), and London Heathrow Airport (LHR) also rank among the world's busiest based on seat capacity offered.

These rankings underscore not only each airport’s scale but also their economic impact through job creation, trade facilitation, logistics support, tourism promotion, and provision of critical air connectivity for both leisure and business travel needs.

Organizations Included in this History
More News

Flying Food Group, Inc. has announced the recipients of its 2025 scholarships, with all five applicants receiving awards this year.

Oct 23, 2025

Dnata, a global provider of air and travel services, has entered into a joint venture with Azerbaijan’s Silk Way Group to launch ground handling and cargo operations at Alat International Airport, located in the Alat Free Economic Zone in Baku.

Oct 22, 2025

Delta Air Lines has announced the release of version 7.5 of its mobile app, introducing new features aimed at making travel planning and management easier for customers during the holiday season.

Oct 22, 2025

The Fair Work Commission has ruled that a former employee of dnata Airport Services was unfairly dismissed and awarded $36,468.39 in compensation.

Oct 22, 2025

The 13th Annual Breast Care International Walk for the Cure took place in Kumasi, Ghana, drawing around 30,000 participants, including survivors, healthcare professionals, students, traditional leaders, and advocates.

Oct 22, 2025

The Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has announced the closure of Terminal 5 to allow for a significant redevelopment.

Oct 22, 2025