Owais Crawford
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest airport in the United States and one of the busiest in the world. However, it is not the biggest airport in the US in terms of surface area. The airport covers 4,700 acres of land (7.3 sq mi; 19 km2) and has five parallel runways. With just over 1,000 flights daily to 225 domestic and international destinations, Hartsfield-Jackson is the world's largest airline hub and is considered America's first mega-hub. The busiest airports in the US are not always the biggest, and some of the largest US airports are big enough to have their zip codes.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Busiest airport in the US | Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport |
| Peak number of passengers (2019) | 110.5 million |
| Number of passengers (2023) | 104,635,151 |
| Number of flights per year | 329,992 |
| Number of flights per day | 1,000 |
| Land area | 4,700 acres |
| World's biggest airline megahub | Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport |
| Largest airport in the US | Denver International Airport |
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What You'll Learn
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta: busiest airport in the world
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest airport in the world, serving more passengers than any other airport in the United States. In 2019, it served 110.5 million passengers, a record that has not been broken by any other airport. However, it is not among the top ten biggest airports in the US in terms of surface area. The airport covers 4,700 acres of land (7.3 sq mi or 19 km2) and has five parallel runways. It is the only active civil airport in the US with a runway above an interstate.
Hartsfield-Jackson is the primary hub of Delta Air Lines, with over 1,000 flights daily to 225 domestic and international destinations. It is also a base for Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Spirit Airlines. The airport has international service within North America and to Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and East Asia.
The airport was originally an aircraft manufacturing plant during World War II. After the war, it was chosen as the site for Chicago's second airport, opening commercially in 1955. It became the world's busiest airport in 1963 and held that title until 1998 when it was surpassed by Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta.
The Atlanta City Council voted to rename the airport Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in 2003 to honour former mayor Maynard Jackson. The airport also boasts the tallest control tower in the United States, standing at 398 feet (121 m) tall.
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Denver International: largest airport in the USA
Denver International Airport (DEN), often referred to as DIA by locals, is the largest airport in the USA by land area. Covering 33,500–33,531 acres (52.4 sq mi; 135.7–140 km2), it is the largest airport in the Western Hemisphere and the second-largest on Earth, behind King Fahd International Airport.
Located 23–25 miles (37–40 km) northeast of Downtown Denver, the airport primarily serves metropolitan Denver, Colorado, as well as the greater Front Range Urban Corridor. It is a significant hub for United Airlines, the largest operating base for Frontier Airlines and Southwest Airlines, and a focus city for Great Lakes Airlines. DEN has been one of the world's busiest airports since 1995, and in 2022, it was the third busiest airport in the world and the USA by passenger traffic. In 2024, DEN set a new record, serving 82,358,744 passengers, a 5.8% increase from 2023. It is also the primary economic engine for Colorado, generating over $26–47 billion for the region annually and supporting nearly 40,000–190,000 jobs.
DEN has one terminal, the Jeppesen Terminal, named after aviation safety pioneer Elrey Borge Jeppesen, and three midfield concourses. Runway 16R/34L, at 16,000 feet (3.03 mi; 4.88 km) long, is the longest public-use runway in North America and the seventh-longest globally. The airport's vast land area is due in part to its location; it is situated on the western edge of the Great Plains, within sight of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains.
Denver has traditionally been home to one of the busier airports in the USA due to its central location, ideal for an airline hub. The former Stapleton International Airport, which DEN replaced, had become limited in capacity and was plagued by delays due to its close runways. Thus, in the 1980s, the search for a new airport location began, and in 1995, DEN opened, becoming one of the world's busiest airports.
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King Fahd International: largest airport in the world
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the largest airport in the US in terms of passenger traffic. At its peak in 2019, it served 110.5 million passengers, a record that no other airport has been able to break. However, it is not the biggest airport in the world in terms of size, as it only covers 4,700 acres of land.
Now, the largest airport in the world in terms of size is the King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. It covers a total area of 776 square kilometers, which is larger than the neighbouring country of Bahrain, which has a land area of 786.5 square kilometers. The airport is named after the former King of Saudi Arabia, Fahd ibn Abdulaziz. It is located 31 kilometres northwest of downtown Dammam and serves the entire Eastern region of the country.
King Fahd International Airport has been recognised as the largest airport in the world by the Guinness World Records. However, the official airport website reports a utilised area of 3,675 hectares or 36.75 square kilometres, which would make it the sixth-largest in the world. The airport was designed by the architecture firm Yamasaki & Associates and Boeing, with construction beginning in 1983. The airport was opened to commercial traffic in 1999, and it is currently operated and managed by the Dammam Airports Company (DACO).
King Fahd International Airport is classified as Code E by the ICAO, which means it can easily accommodate aircraft such as the Boeing 747-400 and A340-600. While it is possible for an A380 to use the airport, it is not recommended as the airport would need to be Code F to accommodate such an aircraft. The airport has been corporatised under the Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program. It was also the first Saudi airport to adopt duty-free stores and has a separate area for shops specialising in gifts and passenger-related goods.
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Busiest doesn't always mean biggest
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest airport in the United States and the world, serving 110.5 million passengers at its peak in 2019. However, it is not among the biggest airports in the US in terms of surface area. Denver International Airport, for example, covers 135 square kilometres, while Hartsfield-Jackson covers only 7.3 square miles.
The busiest airports in the world are not always the biggest. While some of the largest airports in the US are so big that they require their own zip code, other airports manage to serve more passengers than even the biggest airports globally, despite having much less space.
Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, for instance, has five parallel runways, one of which is 12,390 feet long and can handle the Airbus A380. The airport also has the tallest control tower in the US, at 398 feet. It is the primary hub of Delta Air Lines, with over 1,000 flights daily to 225 destinations.
Denver International Airport, the largest in the US, handled 58.8 million passengers in 2021, while Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, the second-largest, served about 70 million passengers, making it the 12th busiest airport in the world. Despite their vast size, these airports serve fewer passengers than Hartsfield-Jackson.
Therefore, while Hartsfield-Jackson may not be the biggest in terms of size, its efficient use of space and high volume of passenger traffic make it the busiest airport in the US and the world.
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Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta: world's biggest airline megahub
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest airport in the world, serving more passengers than any other. In 2019, it served a record-breaking 110.5 million passengers. However, it is not among the biggest airports in the US in terms of surface area. Covering 4,700 acres of land, it is still considered big by any measure.
The airport is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and is the primary hub of Delta Air Lines, with over 1,000 flights daily to 225 domestic and international destinations. It is also a base for Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Spirit Airlines. The airport has five parallel runways, with the longest measuring 12,390 feet, capable of handling the Airbus A380.
Hartsfield-Jackson stands out as the only active civil airport in the US with a runway above an interstate. The addition of a fifth runway and a new control tower, the tallest in the US at 398 feet, has made it one of the few airports capable of triple simultaneous landings. The airport's efficient design includes an "end-around taxiway," which saves millions in fuel costs by optimising aircraft movement.
Despite its impressive infrastructure, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta has also been the site of some chaotic incidents. In February 2023, a massive brawl involving dozens of travellers broke out near a Spirit Airlines boarding gate, with people seen kicking and punching each other. The incident was captured on video and quickly went viral, highlighting the challenges of managing such a bustling transportation hub.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is not the biggest airport in the world. However, it is the busiest airport in the world, serving over 100 million passengers every year.
King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, is the biggest airport in the world by surface area, covering approximately 776 square kilometres.
Denver International Airport in Colorado is the biggest airport in the US, covering 135 square kilometres of surface area.
