The Airports Council International (ACI) World released its report on the ‘Top 10 Busiest Airports Worldwide for 2023‘ with Delhi Airport (Indira Gandhi International Airport – IGIA) securing the 10th spot in 2023 (in Passengers category).
- Handling over 7.22 crore passengers in 2023, IGIA experienced a slight drop from its 9th position in 2022, with Chicago O’Hare Airport, United States (US) surpassing it.
- Despite this, the airport exhibited a steady Year-on-Year (Y-o-Y) growth of 20.36% from 2022, showcasing the robust recovery of the Indian aviation sector.
- Indira Gandhi International Airport was ranked 9th in 2022, 13th in 2021.
Highlights:
i.Passenger traffic: 2023 global passenger traffic reached close to 8.5 billion, representing an increase of 27.2% from 2022 or a recovery of 93.8% from pre-pandemic results (2019).
ii.The top 10 airports, which account for nearly 10% of global traffic (806 million passengers), saw a 19.8% increase from 2022 or a 0.7% increase compared to their 2019 performance (801 million passengers in 2019).
iii.Among the top 10 busiest airports, five are in the US.
iv.Cargo traffic: Air cargo volumes are estimated to have decreased by 3.1% Year-over-Year (-4.6% versus 2019), too close to 113 million metric tonnes in 2023.
v.Global Aircraft Movements: In 2023, it reached nearly 95 million, marking an 11.8% increase from 2022 and a recovery of 92.7% from pre-pandemic levels.
vi.Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is set to host the 2024 ACI World Customer Experience Summit and Exhibition, from September 23-26, 2024 in Atlanta, US.
vii.In International Passengers: Dubai, United Arab Emirates remained in top followed by London, United Kingdom (UK) at second and Amsterdam, Netherlands at third place.
viii.In Air Cargo Volumes (Metric Tonnes), Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), Hong Kong remained in top rank followed by Memphis International Airport (MEM), US at 2nd and Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), China at 3rd place.
ix.In Aircraft Movements, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is at the top, followed by Chicago O’Hare Airport in second, and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in third.
x.Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), United States (US) regains title as world’s busiest with 104.65 million passengers in 2023, yet remains 5% below 2019 levels due to pandemic recovery.
| Passengers* | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rank (2023) | Airport | Rank (2022) |
| 1 | Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, US | 1 |
| 2 | Dubai International Airport | 5 |
| 3 | Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, US | 2 |
| 4 | London Heathrow, UK | 8 |
| 5 | Tokyo Haneda International Airport, Japan | 16 |
| 10 | New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, India | 9 |
PASSENGERS* – Total Passengers enplaned and deplaned, passengers in transit counted once.
About Delhi International Airport (DIAL):
DIAL is a joint venture (JV) established by the consortium between GMR Group (54%), Airports Authority of India (26%), Fraport AG & Eraman Malaysia (10% each).
- In 2006, the consortium was awarded the concession to operate, manage and develop the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA).
Recent Related News:
i.The Indigenously built state of the art Air Traffic Management Automation System (ATMAS) inaugurated at the Biju Patnaik International Airport, in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The ATMAS was jointly developed by Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
ii.Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) to set up the world’s first green hydrogen plant and fueling station at the airport premises of Cochin International Airport, Ernakulam, Kerala.
About Airports Council International (ACI)
It is a trade association for airports globally established in 1991 to promote collaboration between its member airports and other aviation organizations, such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO).
Director General- Luis Felipe de Oliveira
Members– As of January 2024, ACI serves 757 members, operating 2109 airports in 191 countries.
Headquarters– Montreal, Canada
