Some airports handle tens of millions of travelers annually, demonstrating the continued importance of air travel in maintaining global connection. It is unsurprising that the airports that have made it in the list of the ten busiest international airports in 2024 are some state-of-the-art aerodromes which handle aircraft as some of the biggest passenger aircraft like the Airbus A380 among others. Let’s dive further into the details of top 10 busiest airports using one-way airline capacity (international), as reported by OAG.
10.Doha International Airport
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Doha International Airport, formally known as Hamad International Airport (DOH), located in Qatar’s primary financial Doha, offered 32,455,882 seats overall, and was the tenth busiest global airport in 2024.
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Although there was a rise of 13% in the number of international seats offered from the airport in 2023, it slipped from being the ninth busiest airport in 2023 to the tenth busiest in 2024.
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Doha Airport was voted by Skytrax as the best airport for duty free shopping in the world in 2024.
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Qatar Airways conducts a near fifteen-hour flight spanning 9,032 miles (14,536 km / 7,849 NM) from DOH to Auckland Airport (AKL).
9. Hong Kong International
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Situated on Lantau Island, Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) offered 34,607,000 seats for its international travelers in 2024. In 2023, it ranked just outside the rank of the ten busiest international airports.
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The route from HKG to New York (JFK) is the longest from the airport. Cathay Pacific flies this 8.070 mile route mostly three times a day, using either the Boeing 777-300 or Airbus A350-1000.
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The total area of Hong Kong International Airport is 4,707 acres, or 1,905 hectares (7.36 sq mi). There are 89 boarding gates at the airport, including 77 jet bridge gates.
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Compared to 2023, the number of international seats offered from HKG increased by 40%, though compared to 2019, this figure dipped by 23%.
8. Frankfurt International
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Frankfurt Airport (FRA), formally named Frankfurt am Main Airport, offered 35,736,533 seats in 2024 and retained the number 8 position it had in 2023.
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It has been reported that Lufthansa Group plans to open a visitor center at Frankfurt Airport in 2026, with historic aircraft such as Lockheed L-1649 Super Star and Junkers Ju 52 in display.
Non-Schengen Area of Frankfurt Airport Terminal 1 Concourse B
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FRA will open a new terminal, Terminal 3, in 2026, and aims to cut its carbon emission by one-third by 2030.
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Compared to 2019, the number of international seats offered from Frankfurt Airport is down by 10%. Air France has been flying to Frankfurt airport for more than seventy-five years while Singapore Airlines has been flying there for more than half a century.
7. Paris Charles de Gaulle
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The main entry point to France, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), often called Roissy Airport, is situated around 25 kilometers (16 miles) northeast of Paris and offered 38,482,460 international seats in 2024.
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Qantas Airlines deploys its Boeing 787-9s for its 8,847-mile operations from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) to Perth Airport (PER). This journey spans 16 hours and 30 minutes and is the longest from the airport.
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Compared to 2023, the airport’s numbers shot up by 5%, while compared to 2019, the numbers were down by 7%. The airport was the fourth busiest in 2023 while it was ranked 7th in 2019.
Charles de Gaulle Airport
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The airport has expansive runways and taxiways outside the terminals that can handle some of the biggest planes in the world, such as the Airbus A380. The airport recently celebrated fifty years of its operations.
6. Istanbul
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It may come as a surprise that the sixth busiest international airport in the world, Istanbul Airport (IST), which offered 38,636,958 seats for international passengers opened only in 2018, making it one of the youngest airports in this list.
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IST replaced Atatürk Airport as the main entry point for air travel in the city, was given “Digital Transformation Award” by Airports Council International (ACI) in 2020. The airport was equipped with 3,000 monitors to provide visual information to passengers, and its airfield had 40,000 LED lights.
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The airport is home to the world’s largest airport museum – The Istanbul Airport Museum. The museum houses 316 artifacts from all over Turkey including the first recorded peace treaty in human history – the ‘Kadesh Treaty’.
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In 2022, IST had 277 passenger destinations and that was more than any other airport. Visitors to IST may take use of world-class services, superb restaurants, expansive lounges, and opulent shopping.
5. Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), the primary international airport for the Netherlands, offered 39,998,853 seats to international passengers.
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Amsterdam Airport Schiphol situated around 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) southwest of Amsterdam. In 2023, the airport had the same ranking as it did in 2024. In 2019, however, it was ranked tenth.
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Till 2027, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is expected to invest more than three billion dollars in maintenance and upgrades.
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Schiphol is renowned for its one-terminal idea, which makes it simpler for travelers to traverse by combining all amenities, gates, and services under one roof.
4. Singapore Changi
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Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), which was the fifth-busiest international airport in 2023, offered 41,530,309 seats for international travelers in 2024 and was the fourth busiest international airport of the year.
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The airport’s nature-themed entertainment and retail complex is worth $1.7 billion. The complex opened half a decade ago and sees 300,000 daily visitors. The airport houses close to 100,000 shrubs and 2,000 different trees. It is also home to the incredible HSBC Rain Vortex.
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The airport operates all around the clock and is known as an airport that never sleeps. SIN has added Long-Range Acoustic Devices (LRAD) as a way to safely drives birds away to deter bird strikes.
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View of the ground handling services of Singapore Changi Airport, servicing an Emirates Boeing 777-300 (A6-EMO), with a Cathay Pacific “Asia World City” Boeing 747-400 (B-HOY).
3. Seoul Incheon International
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Situated on Yeongjong Island approximately 48 kilometers (30 miles) west of Seoul, Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN), offered 41,633,831 seats for international travel in 2024. The shot up four places compared to its 2023 rankings.
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The airport saw 24% rise in the number of seats offered compared to 2023, though the figures were 2% less compared to 2019. In 2019, the ICN was the fifth busiest international airport.
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Korean Air, the flag carrier of South Korea, leads flights between South Korea and the US. The airline had more than 10,000 flights to the US alone, with services to the busiest global airport of 2024 – Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).
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Travellers may enjoy traditional performances, art exhibits, and craft classes at the airport’s well-known Korean culture center. One of the shortest A380 flights also took to the skies from Incheon as Asiana Airlines offered a 2-hour flight to Osaka.
2. London Heathrow
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Heathrow Airport (LHR) [also known as London Heathrow Airport and called London Airport until 1966] offered 48,358,450 seats for international passengers in 2024. The airport was ranked second in 2023 as well as in 2019.
London Heathrow Terminal 2 Departures Area
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It was reported that December 2024 was the busiest December ever recorded in London Heathrow. Heathrow was also the fourth-busiest global airport in 2024.
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British Airways (whose airport you can see in the image above) is set to offer more than 18,000 flights from London Heathrow in February 2025 alone. Compared to 2019 numbers, Heathrow improved its figures by 2%.
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LHR serves as a vital hub for transatlantic travel, linking Europe with Asia, North America, and other continents. The longest non-stop flight from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) is a near 9,000-mile journey to Perth Airport (PER) in Western Australia.
1. Dubai International
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Dubai International Airport (DXB) is the primary airport of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and offered 60,236,220 seats for international travel in 2024. It was the busiest international airport in 2023 as well as 2019.
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DXB is home to a Zen Garden which runs through gates B7 to B27, throughout the length of Concourse B of Terminal 3. The garden is a haven for approximately 6,000 plants and trees, and a waterfall.
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Compared to 2023, there was a 7% rise in the number of international seats offered from DXB. Compared to 2019, the rise is 12%.
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Emirates has signed a deal to use 300,000 gallons of Sustainable Aviation Fuel at DXB.