Travel

Chicago Ranks In Top 10 Among Busiest Airports Worldwide

The Chicago airport served more than 73 million passengers and clocked more than 720,000 takeoffs and landings in 2023, a ranking says.

Amanda Lumpkin, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
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The Chicago O'Hare International Airport is the ninth busiest airport in the world, a ranking says.
The Chicago O'Hare International Airport is the ninth busiest airport in the world, a ranking says. (Shutterstock)

CHICAGO, IL — The Windy City's airport ranks among the top 10 busiest in the world.

The Chicago O'Hare International Airport was championed as the No. 9 airport for passengers served in 2023, according to Airports Council International World.

The industry expert released Sunday its latest ranking, which also rated airports for cargo and international travel in 2023.

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Chicago's own O'Hare, which served more than 73 million people, landed on a top 10 list that included airports in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. It dropped five spots from its ranking in 2o22, when it was the fifth international busiest airport.

Additionally, Chicago garnered the No. 2 slot for aircraft movements, which are measured in landings and takeoffs, for the second consecutive year. In 2023, Chicago had 720,582 aircraft movements.

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ACI World said its latest data was collected from at least 2,600 worldwide airports and shows a shift in numbers due to increased international travel.

"The global total passenger forecast for 2023 stands close to 8.5 billion, reflecting a remarkable recovery of 93.8 percent from pre-pandemic levels. Notably, international traffic recovery drew nearer to that of domestic traffic, emphasizing its essential role in propelling the industry’s resurgence and expansion," read an ACI World news release.

Here is the full top 10 list of cities for passengers:

  1. Atlanta, Georgia - 104,653,451
  2. Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 86,994,365
  3. Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas - 81,755,538
  4. London, United Kingdom - 79,183,364
  5. Tokyo, Japan - 78,719,302
  6. Denver, Colorado - 77,837,917
  7. Instabul, Turkey - 76,027,321
  8. Los Angeles, California - 75,050,875
  9. Chicago - 73,894,226
  10. New Delhi, India - 72,214,841

Here is the full top 10 list of cities for aircraft movements (measured in landings and takeoffs):

  1. Atlanta, Georgia - 775,818
  2. Chicago - 720,582
  3. Dallas-Fort Worth - 689,569
  4. Denver, Colorado - 657,218
  5. Las Vegas, Nevada - 611,806
  6. Los Angeles, California - 575,097
  7. Charlotte, North Carolina - 539,066
  8. Istanbul, Turkey - 505,968
  9. New York, New York - 481,075
  10. Tokyo, Japan - 464,910

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