Hartsfield-Jackson: World's Busiest Airport, But Why?

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest airport in the world. In 2023, the airport served over 104 million passengers, the most of any airport globally. However, its ranking dropped to second place in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The airport covers 4,700 acres of land and has five parallel runways. It is the primary hub for Delta Air Lines and houses the airline's headquarters. Additionally, it is the only major airport serving Atlanta and the surrounding regions, contributing to its high passenger numbers.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest airport in the world

The airport covers 4,700 acres of land and has five parallel runways aligned in an east-west direction. There are three runways that are 9,000 feet long, one runway that is 10,000 feet long, and the longest runway measures 12,390 feet. This makes it capable of handling large aircraft like the Airbus A380.

The airport is located 10 miles south of Downtown Atlanta and is named after former Atlanta mayors William B. Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson. It is the primary international airport serving Atlanta and its metropolitan area in the US state of Georgia.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is a major hub for Delta Air Lines, which has its corporate headquarters and primary hub at the airport. Delta operates just over 1,000 flights daily to 225 domestic and international destinations, making it the world's largest airline hub. In addition to Delta, the airport is also a base for low-cost carriers Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Spirit Airlines.

The airport's strategic location in the eastern United States contributes to its high passenger numbers. It is within a two-hour flight of 80% of the US population and is the only major airport serving Atlanta and the surrounding regions. The metropolitan area has a population of over six million people, which significantly contributes to the airport's passenger volume.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has consistently ranked among the world's busiest airports for many years, topping the charts from 1998 to 2019. In 2020, it dropped to second place due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it regained its top position in subsequent years.

It is the primary international airport serving Atlanta and its metropolitan area

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the primary airport serving Atlanta and its metropolitan area. It is located 10 miles (16 km) south of the Downtown Atlanta district. The airport covers 4,700 acres (7.3 sq mi; 19 km2) of land and has five parallel runways.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is named after former Atlanta mayors William B. Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson. The airport is mostly in unincorporated areas of Clayton County but also spills into the city limits of Atlanta, College Park, and Hapeville, in territory extending into Fulton County.

The airport is the corporate headquarters and primary hub of Delta Air Lines. It is also an operating base for low-cost carriers 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.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has been the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic since 1998, except in 2020 when travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic reduced passenger numbers. In 2023, the airport served over 104.6 million passengers, the most of any airport in the world. It is also the world's busiest airport in terms of aircraft movements.

The airport has two terminals and seven concourses with a total of 192 gates. The Domestic Terminal is located on the west side of the airport, while the Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal is on the east side. The terminals and concourses are connected by an underground pedestrian tunnel, The Plane Train, and an automated people mover.

The airport is accessible via Interstate 85 and Interstate 75, and it has its own train station on the city's rapid transit system, MARTA, served by the Red and Gold lines. The airport is also served by several local shared-ride shuttle services.

The Hartsfield-Jackson Rental Car Center houses ten airport rental agencies and is connected to the Domestic Terminal and the Gateway Center of the Georgia International Convention Center by the ATL SkyTrain, an automated people mover.

The airport is named after former Atlanta mayors William B. Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is named after former Atlanta mayors William B. Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson.

The airport was originally named Candler Field after former Atlanta mayor Asa Candler, who owned the land on which the airport was built. The site was previously an abandoned auto racetrack called The Atlanta Speedway.

In 1971, the airport was renamed William B. Hartsfield Atlanta Airport in honour of Hartsfield, who had recently passed away. The name was changed again later that year to William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport to reflect the growing number of international flights to and from Atlanta.

In 2003, the Atlanta City Council voted to add Jackson's name to the airport, becoming Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Jackson, who had died four months prior, was also a former mayor of Atlanta. The council initially planned to remove Hartsfield's name from the airport, but public outcry prevented this.

Hartsfield served as mayor of Atlanta for over 30 years, across two periods (1937-1941 and 1942-1962). During his time in office, Hartsfield is credited with transforming Atlanta into a "major air transport hub". He was also a strong supporter of civil rights and is remembered for his progressive racial views for the time.

Jackson served as Atlanta's first Black mayor, holding office from 1974 to 1982 and again from 1990 to 1994. He is remembered for his efforts to increase minority representation in Atlanta's government and for his contributions to the city's infrastructure, including the construction of the airport's present midfield terminal complex.

It is the corporate headquarters and primary hub of Delta Air Lines

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the corporate headquarters and primary hub of Delta Air Lines. Delta operates over 1,000 flights per day to 225 domestic and international destinations from Hartsfield-Jackson, making it the world's largest airline hub. Delta's hub at Hartsfield-Jackson is also considered the first mega-hub in America.

Delta's Technical Operations Center, the airline's primary maintenance, repair and overhaul arm, is located at Hartsfield-Jackson. The airport is also home to nine Delta Sky Clubs, which provide customers with amenities such as meal offerings, premium beverage selections and intentionally crafted lounge space.

Delta has been using Atlanta as its chief hub since 1930. Today, Hartsfield-Jackson is Delta's largest hub and most-travelled airport in the system. Delta is Atlanta's number one domestic and international carrier, with more than 900 peak-day departures to over 200 global destinations.

In 2025, Delta plans to introduce new routes from Hartsfield-Jackson, including four-times weekly service to Naples and three-times-weekly nonstop service to Brussels. Delta will also add more options to Athens, Barcelona, Rome and Zurich from Atlanta.

The airport has two terminals and seven concourses with a total of 192 gates

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest airport in the world. It has consistently ranked among the world's busiest airports by passenger numbers for many years. In 2021, it topped the list for the highest passenger volume, with just under 76 million passengers. The airport served over 104.6 million passengers in 2023, the most of any airport in the world.

Concourse T is directly connected to the Domestic Terminal, and Concourse F is directly connected to the International Terminal. The remaining five concourses (Concourses A-E) are located between the two terminals and are parallel to each other. The terminals and concourses are connected by an underground pedestrian tunnel, a series of moving walkways, and an automated people mover called The Plane Train.

Delta Air Lines operates from all seven concourses. The south side of Concourse T and all of Concourses A and B are used exclusively by Delta for mainline domestic flights. Delta's regional flights primarily operate from the north side of Concourse C. The south side of Concourse C is used by Southwest Airlines as their operating base. All other domestic airlines operate from Concourse D or the north side of Concourse T. Some Delta and Delta Connection flights also use Concourse D.

International flights operate from Concourses E and F. Concourse F is the only concourse with a gate that can accommodate an Airbus A380, the largest passenger aircraft in the world. All non-Delta international carriers operate their ATL flights from this terminal, including Delta's partners such as Air France, KLM, Korean Air, LATAM, Virgin Atlantic, Scandinavian Airlines, and WestJet. Aeromexico operates from Concourse E, and some WestJet flights use Concourse D.

Frequently asked questions