Airports With Highest Flight Traffic: Global Leaders

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, has been the world's busiest airport every year since 1998, except in 2020 when its passenger traffic dipped due to travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Atlanta quickly regained its top position in 2021 and has held it since. In addition to being the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic, Atlanta is also home to the world's most punctual airline, Delta Air Lines.

When it comes to on-time departures, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, takes the crown as the best airport for punctuality, with nearly 87% of flights taking off within 15 minutes of their scheduled time.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the world's busiest airport

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (IATA: ATL, ICAO: KATL, FAA LID: ATL) is the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic. It has held this title every year since 1998, except in 2020 when its passenger traffic decreased due to travel restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, the airport served over 104.6 million passengers, the most of any airport in the world.

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is located 10 miles (16 km) south of downtown Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States. The airport covers 4,700 acres (7.3 sq mi; 19 km2) of land and has five parallel runways. It is named after former Atlanta mayors William B. Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson.

The airport is the primary hub for Delta Air Lines, with just over 1,000 flights daily to 225 domestic and international destinations. Delta's hub at Hartsfield–Jackson is the world's largest airline hub and is considered the first mega-hub in America. The airport also serves as the headquarters for Delta's Technical Operations Center, which is the airline's primary maintenance, repair, and overhaul arm. In addition to Delta, low-cost carriers Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Spirit Airlines also use Hartsfield–Jackson as an operating base.

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport has international service within North America and to Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and East Asia. 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 Transportation Mall, an underground pedestrian tunnel with a series of moving walkways, and The Plane Train, a 24/7 underground automated people mover, connect the terminals and concourses.

Hartsfield–Jackson is the busiest airport in the world not only by passenger traffic but also by aircraft movements. It has consistently ranked at the top of the Airports Council International (ACI) rankings, most recently in 2022 and 2023. The ACI's world director, Luis Felipe de Oliveira, attributed the high volume of global air travel in 2023 to several factors, including the anticipated benefits of China's reopening and a growing inclination towards travel despite macroeconomic conditions.

Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport is the world's most punctual airport

Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport (RUH) in Saudi Arabia has been named the world's most punctual airport for 2024 by aviation analytics firm Cirium. More than 88.23% of flights departed on time in May 2024, earning the airport the top spot in the global classification. This achievement aligns with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

The airport is located about 35 kilometres (22 miles) north of Riyadh and consists of five passenger terminals, with only three currently in use. It also features eight aero-bridges per terminal, a mosque, covered and uncovered parking for 11,600 vehicles, a Royal Terminal for VIPs, and two parallel runways.

The airport is managed and operated by the Riyadh Airports Company, whose CEO, Ayman Abdulaziz AboAbah, expressed pride in the airport's top ranking. He emphasised the commitment of the airport and its partners to delivering the highest operational standards, and praised the employees for their dedication to excellence in airport services.

In addition to its punctuality, King Khalid International Airport is also notable for its architectural design. The airport was designed by the architectural firm HOK and was opened in 1983. The central control tower is one of the tallest in the world, and the Royal Mosque features a significant programme of integral art, including stained glass by British architectural artist Brian Clarke.

Airport with the Most Flights

When it comes to the airport with the most flights, there is no definitive answer as it depends on various factors such as flight connections, passenger traffic, and flight schedules. However, some airports that are often mentioned as having a high volume of flights include:

• Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) in the United States
• Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) in China
• Dubai International Airport (DXB) in the United Arab Emirates
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in the United States
• Tokyo Haneda International Airport (HND) in Japan

Turkish Airlines flies to the most countries

Turkish Airlines flies to more countries than any other airline, with over 120 destinations in 2024. The airline benefits from its hub location in Istanbul, which is well-positioned to connect important passenger markets such as Europe, North America, Turkey, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Additionally, Turkey's large population and tourism industry contribute to the airline's extensive network.

The airline makes effective use of narrowbody aircraft, allowing it to serve existing cities more frequently and launch new services to smaller cities. This strategy helps increase connectivity and competitiveness. Turkish Airlines also leverages its widebody fleet, even on short routes, to accommodate higher passenger demand during peak periods.

In terms of specific destinations, Turkish Airlines serves 39 countries in Europe and the Caucasus (including Turkey), 11 in the Middle East, and 9 in the Americas. It also has a strong presence in Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, the Middle East, and Central Asia, with 41, 25, and 8 airports served in these regions, respectively.

Outside of Turkey, the countries with the largest number of airports served by Turkish Airlines include Russia (17 airports), the United States (14 airports), Germany (11 airports), Italy (10 airports), and France (8 airports). The airline's ability to connect a wide range of destinations across the globe cements its position as the carrier with the most countries served.

Denver International Airport is the third-busiest airport in the US

Denver International Airport (DEN) is the third-busiest airport in the US by passenger traffic. In 2023, it served around 77.8 million passengers, a 12% increase from 2022. The airport has been among the top 20 busiest airports in the world every year since 2000.

Denver's midcontinent location makes it an ideal airline hub. Several airlines, including United Airlines and Continental Airlines, previously had hubs at the former Stapleton International Airport, which helped make it the sixth-busiest airport in the country by the 1960s. However, Stapleton had limited room for expansion and its runways were too close together, leading to long delays and nationwide travel disruptions during bad weather.

Denver International Airport, located 25 miles northeast of downtown Denver, opened in 1995. It currently serves 25 airlines offering non-stop service to over 215 destinations worldwide. The airport is a major hub for United Airlines and the largest operating base for both Frontier Airlines and Southwest Airlines. With over 40,000 employees, it is the largest employer in Colorado.

Denver International Airport covers 52.4 square miles, making it the largest airport in the Western Hemisphere and the second-largest in the world by land area. It has six runways and three midfield concourses with a total of 179 gates. The airport is strategically located east of the Rockies and benefits from a large volume of connecting traffic and strong domestic business.

In the first quarter of 2023, Denver International Airport was the third-busiest airport in the US by seats for sale, jumping two places compared to the same period in 2020 and three places compared to 2019. United Airlines had nearly 46% of the airport's capacity during this period, with Southwest Airlines in second place.

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines is the best US carrier for punctuality

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has been ranked as the best US carrier for punctuality by CNN, OAG, and Cirium. In 2022, Delta Air Lines was ranked as the most punctual airline in the US by OAG, with an on-time performance (OTP) of 81.79% and a very low cancellation rate of just 0.01%. The following year, in 2023, Delta Air Lines was again ranked as the most punctual airline in the US by Cirium, with an OTP of 83.46% and more than 1,712,529 total flights in 2024. Delta Air Lines also earned the top spot in Cirium's OTP report for two consecutive years.

Delta Air Lines has nine hubs, with Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport being its largest in terms of total passengers and number of departures. It is ranked second among the world's largest airlines by the number of passengers carried, passenger miles flown, and fleet size. It is also ranked first by revenue for commercially owned airline companies and in brand value. Delta Air Lines is the only US carrier that flies to Dakar, Senegal, and it is one of only two US carriers that fly to Stockholm, Sweden, and Copenhagen, Denmark.

In addition to its punctuality, Delta Air Lines has also been recognised for its safety. In 2008, a safety video posted on YouTube featuring a flight attendant received over 1 million views and the attention of news outlets. The flight attendant, Katherine Lee, was nicknamed "Deltalina" due to her resemblance to Angelina Jolie.

Delta Air Lines has also been recognised for its environmental initiatives. In 2008, the airline was awarded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Design for the Environment (DfE) program for its use of PreKote, an environmentally friendly, non-hexavalent chromium surface pretreatment on its aircraft.

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