Dubai airport the world's busiest airport for international passengers in 2016

Oliver Smith

Jan 26 2017

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Dubai Airport handled 83.6 million travellers in 2016, new figures have shown, making it - still - the busiest in the world in terms of international passengers.

The figure, released this week by its operating authority, represents growth of 7.2 per cent on 2015, when 78 million passed through its doors.

Dubai's rise has been astonishing. The airport welcomed just 16 million fliers in 2002, meaning total growth in the last 16 years stands at 423 per cent.

While it sees more international traffic than any other airport - with Heathrow and Hong Kong second and third - in terms of total passenger numbers, it remains some way off the pacesetter. Thanks to its extensive domestic routes, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International has been the world's busiest airport since 1998, with more than 101 million passengers passing through its terminals in 2015 – that's the equivalent of the population of Ethiopia.

The world's 10 busiest airports for international traffic

10. Atatürk International Airport - 41.1m (2016)

Istanbul's biggest airport, and the main hub for Turkish Airlines, has grown even more rapidly than Dubai. It welcomed 11.4m total passengers in 2002, a figure that rose to 60.1m last year. Turkish Airlines, the world's largest carrier in terms of number of countries served, is its biggest customer.

Ataturk Airport, Turkey. Photo: iStock

9. Suvarnabhumi Airport - 46m (2016)

Bangkok's main airport opened in 2006 and is the main hub for Thai Airways International, Bangkok Airways, and Orient Thai Airlines. Its most popular international routes are to Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, Dubai and Shanghai.

Bangkok International Suvarnabhumi Airport. Photo: iStock

8. Incheon International Airport - 48.7m (2015)

The world's second best airport according to the 2016 Skytrax Awards, Incheon International features an ice rink, casino, golf course, spa, sauna, free showers and seven gardens. Total annual traffic at the South Korean airport has grown from 14.5m in 2001 to 49.3m in 2015.

Incheon International Airport Station. Photo: Getty Images

7. Frankfurt Airport - 54m (2015)

Germany's largest airport is also the biggest in the world in terms of total international destinations served. Total passenger numbers of 61m make it the 12th busiest airport overall.

The Squaire building at Frankfurt airport, Germany. Photo: Frankfurt Airport .

6. Singapore Changi Airport - 54.8m (2015)

Needless to say, international passengers account for all of Singapore's traffic - it is a city state, after all. The airport has been named the world's best in the Skytrax Awards for four years on the bounce. Its offerings include two free cinemas, a swimming pool, a six-metre waterfall and a butterfly garden housing 1,000 species.

5. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol - 58.2m (2015)

The busiest routes from Amsterdam Airport - with its six runways - are to Heathrow, Barcelona, Paris, Rome and Gatwick. It is one of the world's most elderly airports, having been established as a military airbase in 1916 and used by civilian aircraft since 1920.

4. Paris - Charles de Gaulle Airport - 60.4m (2015)

The ninth busiest airport overall, Paris-Charles de Gaulle is fourth in terms of international passengers. Its busiest routes are to New York JFK, Heathrow, Barcelona El Prat and Dubai, while Air France is its biggest customer.

3. Hong Kong International Airport - 68.1m (2015)

Built on the island of Chek Lap Kok, on reclaimed land, Hong Kong International opened in 1998. It has grown in size by 153 per cent since 2002, when it handled just 27m passengers. Skytrax named it the world's fifth best airport last year.

2. London Heathrow Airport - 71m (2016)

The busiest airport in Europe welcomed just over 30m fliers in 1985 - now that figure stands at more than 70m. Its shortage of runways makes further growth difficult. The busiest routes from Heathrow are to New York-JFK, Dubai, Dublin, Amsterdam and Hong Kong.

1. Dubai International Airport - 77.5m (2015)

As outlined above, Dubai remains the world's busiest in terms of international passengers, and third busiest overall (behind Beijing Capital and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta).

Dubai Airport. Photo: iStock

The world's 10 busiest for total passenger numbers

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport - 101.5m (2015)
Beijing Capital International Airport - 90.1m (2015)
Dubai International Airport - 83.6 (2016)
O'Hare International Airport - 76.9m (2015)
London Heathrow Airport - 75.7m (2016)
Tokyo Haneda Airport - 75.3m (2015)
Los Angeles International Airport - 74.9m (2015)
Hong Kong International Airport - 68.5m (2015)
Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport - 65.9 (2016)
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport - 64.2m (2015)

People waiting in outdoor lounge on Hartsfield Jackson International Airport in Atlanta. Photo: iStock

The world's 10 busiest air routes

What's number one? New York to Washington DC? London to Paris? Nope.

The most in-demand flight on Earth is actually the 280-mile hop from Seoul Gimpo International to Jeju International. More than 11 million journeys were made between the two South Korean airports in 2015, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reports.

Second on IATA's list is Sapporo-Tokyo Haneda, with 7.8m. New York-Washington DC and London-Paris don't even make the top 10.

Jeju International - Seoul Gimpo International - one-way capacity (2016) - 6,561,314
Sapporo New Chitose - Tokyo Haneda - 6,209,366
Fukuoka - Tokyo Haneda - 5,961,277
Melbourne - Sydney Kingsford Smith - 5,067,167
Taipei Taiwan Taoyuan International - Hong Kong International - 4,146,547
Delhi - Mumbai - 4,143,639
Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi - 4,141,322
Beijing Capital International - Shanghai Hongqiao International - 3,962,081
Surabaya - Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta - 3,849,866
Tokyo Haneda - Okinawa Naha - 3,784,546