Millions of passengers fly everyday across the four corners of the globe: for business, tourism, family reasons and so on (Need to track a flight? Just have a look at Flightradar Online). Nowadays, any big city has its own international airport to welcome people and process baggage and goods, but what are the busiest airports in the whole world? The Airports Council International Association draws up a ranking every year and it’s going to be quite surprising!
2018 Top 5:
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Hartsfield-Jackson Airport of Atlanta (USA): its 103.902.992 passengers make it win the first prize! It’s been the busiest airport in the world since 2011. This huge hub is located 11 Km away from the capital of Georgia and its numbers are due to the many domestic flights stopping here: it is the main stop for all the flights serving the Southern and the Eastern areas of the US. Atlanta is not among the biggest nor the most popular American cities, so why all this traffic then? Well, it hosts the headquarters of Coca-Cola, CNN and Delta Airlines, that is 3 important corporations with international branches and thousands of workers coming here for business reasons! Atlanta Airport has also a big impact on local employment: it employs more than 55.000 people boosting the economy of the whole State of Georgia.
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Beijing Airport (China): 95.786.296 passengers. It is located 32 Km away from the Chinese capital and it is part of the top 5 busiest airports since 2008. It is the most important Asian hub and it hosts the national airline Air China, other than Hainan and China Southern Airlines. It is renowned for its cleanliness and its efficiency in control and processing procedures. It was built in the 50s, but it gained its worldwide reputation in 2008, thanks to the expansion works carried out on the occasion of the Olympic Games. A railway connection with the city center was also built in 2008. Its position in the international ranking reflects the economic growth and the growing weight of China in the global scenery.
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Dubai Airport (UAE): “only” 88.242.099 passengers, but the largest airport in the world. It was built in the 60s, but it was once a small airport only used for local flights. It was not until the end of the 90s that it began to grow exponentially. It only serves the flights of Emirate Airlines and its satellite companies. It is a really luxurious place, full of palms and fountains and with an opulent and extravagant atmosphere.
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Tokyo Haneda Airport (Japan): 84.956.964 passengers. Together with Tokyo Narita Airport, it is the main hub of the Japanese capital, serving both domestic and international travelers. It is located only 23 Km away from the city center and it is connected to central Tokyo districts by a monorail. Like Atlanta airport, Haneda has gained this position in the ranking thanks to the many domestic flights that stop here every day.
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Los Angeles Airport (USA): 84.557.968 passengers. It might be the only airport in the top 5 you have correctly guessed! It is located 26 Km away from the district of Westchester, Los Angeles (California). It is also a base for the helicopters of the US Coast Guard. The most iconic part of the airport is the so-called “Theme Building”: a huge building, 40 m high, that looks like a flying saucer and allows a 360° view of the airstrips. It was built in 1961 and its sophisticated lighting system was designed by Disney. In Los Angeles Airport there are also many exhibitions and cultural events that are part of the LAX Art Program: it was especially conceived to entertain the passengers and to fully exploit the huge spaces of its buildings.
