The 10 busiest airports in the world

The Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is first in the list of the world’s busiest airports serving 55,868,147 passengers. The airport has been the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic since 1998, and by number of landings and take-offs since 2005, serving 89 million passengers per year.

China’s Beijing Capital International Airport is next with 46,950,904 passengers. The airport is owned and operated by the state-controlled company, Beijing Capital International Airport Company Limited.

London’s Heathrow Airport handles 40,194,949 passengers and also handles more international passengers than any other airport around the globe. The airport is also the busiest airport in the EU and the busiest city airport system.

The O'Hare International Airport in Chicago handles 39,070,976 passengers. Before 2005, the airport was the world's busiest airport in regards to takeoffs and landings and the airport is the world's second busiest airport in terms of aircraft movements.

Haneda Airport or the Tokyo International Airport handles almost all domestic flights to and from Tokyo, about 37,142,196 passengers. Along with the Narita International Aiport, Tokyo has the third busiest city airport system in the world.

The third USA airport in the list, Los Angeles International Airport handles 37,129,716 passengers. It is also the only airport to rank among the top five U.S. airports for both passenger and cargo traffic.

France’s largest airport, Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport handles 35,746,812 passengers. In cargo traffic, the airport is the fifth busiest in the world and the second busiest in Europe after Frankfurt Airport.

The Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, the fourth in the list from USA handles 34,175,500 passengers. The airport is the fourth busiest airport in the world in terms of aircraft movements.

Frankfurt Airport which handles 33,187,170 passengers is the third busiest airport in Europe and is the main hub of Lufthansa. The airport has been expanded several times since its opening in 1936 and has now two large terminals.

Bringing Asia to the list is the Soekarno–Hatta International Airport which serves 33,095,953 passengers. The airport is named after the first President of Indonesia, Soekarno, and the first vice-president, Mohammad Hatta.

Speaking of airports and their capacity, here’s looking at the busiest airports in India. As per the Ministry of Tourism, India in the first half of 2012, has witnessed 3.2 million foreign arrivals and 55.9 million air arrivals in India during the first quarter of 2012.

Click on next to know more about the busiest airports in India.

(Source: Survival to Supremacy/Cushman & Wakefield) [(Image for illustrative purposes only - Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images]

The highest number of air arrivals was recorded in the National Capital Region 18.2 million with the domestic arrivals accounting for 12.7 million and foreign arrivals of 5.5 million. The Indira Gandhi International Airport has witnessed an increase in total arrivals by 6 percent over the January-June period from 2011-12, while it was 22 percent from 2010-11. (Photo: A Ranjan/Wikimedia Commons)

Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport comes next with 15.1 million air arrivals and has witnessed an increase of 2 percent in total arrivals over the January-June period in 2012 over 2011, while it was 10 percent in 2011 over 2010 in the same period. (Photo: Nipun/Wikimedia Commons)

Chennai stands third with 7.6 million air arrivals and the Anna International Airport witnessed an increase in total arrivals by 3 percent over the January-June year on year. Over 6.5 million arrivals were recorded during the first six months of 2012. Anna International Airport is currently the third busiest airport in India. (Photo: Nikkul/Wikimedia Commons)

Bangalore finished closely behind with 7.2 million air arrivals. The Bengaluru International Airport recorded an increase of 1 percent in total arrivals in first quarter 2012 over the corresponding 2011 quarter and approximately 12 percent higher over the arrival in 2010. Approximately 6.2 million tourists have arrived in these six months. (Photo: Official website)

Kolkata witnessed 4.5 million air arrivals and the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Airport witnessed a growth in total arrivals by 2 percent over the January-June year on year. Of the total arrivals, 85 percent were domestic while only 15 percent were international arrivals. (Photo: Abdullah McDaniel/Wikimedia Commons)

Last but not the least, Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi Hyderabad International Airport witnessed 3.3 million air arrivals, an increase of 6 percent in total arrivals in first quarter 2012 over same time last year. There were over 6.5 million arrivals in the first 6 months. (Photo: Anil Bharadwaj/Wikimedia Commons)