DXB confirmed as the world’s busiest international airport in 2022

Dubai Airports CEO, Paul Griffiths, says that Dubai International Airport (DXB) will continue to strive for excellence after the gateway’s status as the world’s busiest international airport in 2022 was confirmed by new ACI World data.

He notes: “We are obviously quite thrilled to top the list of the world’s busiest international airports for the ninth consecutive year, but it comes as no surprise given Dubai International’s (DXB) stellar performance throughout 2022 and the upsurge in traffic in the final quarter.

“The increase in demand for air travel was universal in 2022, but what set DXB apart was the dedication of our people and the meticulous planning and preparation by each and every service partner that makes up Dubai’s amazing airport community.

“Our preparedness backed by collaboration enabled us to not just accommodate the rapid increase in demand but also deliver tangible enhancement in service quality and overall airport experience for the 66 million passengers that passed through DXB during the year.

“As we celebrate this achievement, our focus remains on continuing to work on keeping DXB on top of the list of the busiest hubs but also having it acknowledged by travellers globally as delivering the best airport experience in the world.”

Top 10 airports in the world for passenger traffic in 2022

DXB’s 2022 passenger total ensured that it regained its status in the Top 10 ranking for the world’s busiest passenger gateways.

The top four airports actually remained the same as 2021, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (ATL) welcoming  93.7 million passengers (+23.8%) to retain top spot in 2022 followed by Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) with 73.4 million (+17.5%), Denver (DEN) in third with 69.3 million (+17.8%), and Chicago O’Hare (ORD) in fourth with 68.3 million (+26.5%).

ACI World director general, Luis Felipe de Oliveira, said: “The new top 10 busiest airports for passenger traffic reflects the resilience of the airport and aviation industry, and the eagerness of passengers to travel by air.

“While US airport hubs were able to recover quicker due to their strong domestic market, we are now witnessing global hubs joining upper ranks – including Dubai, Istanbul, and London Heathrow.

“While we continue to march forward cautiously amidst multiple headwinds that could impact the speed and magnitude of global air traffic recovery, the latest rankings represent an important milestone in reaching pre-pandemic levels.

“The re-opening of China, the second largest aviation market after the US, is now expected to bring an overall gain, both domestically and for international travel.

“The ongoing recovery of air travel demand would not be possible without the continuous work of airports to provide a safe, secure, efficient, and sustainable air transport ecosystem for the passengers that we depend on and the communities we serve.

“ACI World will remain committed to representing the best interests of airports on the global stage during key phases of policy development and to promoting airport excellence.”

Preliminary figures indicate that with the resumption of international travel, global passenger traffic soared by 53.5% to close to seven billion passengers in 2022 – 73.8% of the total handled in 2019.