Global air passenger traffic increased by 4% in 2013 to 5.4 billion passengers, according to a preliminary report by Airports Council International (ACI).
Globally, airports reported a 0.7% rise in cargo volume compared with 2012, while aircraft movements rose by 0.1% to 66.3 million during 2013.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
According to the ACI preliminary traffic results, based on reports from more than 1,105 airports worldwide, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta remained the busiest passenger airport in the world, while Beijing airport stood second.
Other airports in the top six busiest airports list include London-Heathrow, followed by Tokyo-Haneda, Chicago-O’Hare and Los Angeles.
European and North American airports witnessed 2.9% and 1.1% growth in passenger traffic year-over-year, while the Middle East and Asia-Pacific posted robust growth in passenger traffic at 9.2% and 7.4%, respectively.
Dubai became one of the fastest-growing airports in the world, with more than 15% increase in passenger traffic in 2013.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataACI world economics director Rafael Echevarne said: "With double-digit growth rates in passenger traffic for 2013, Dubai is likely to move up several spots again in the 2014 rankings, solidifying its status as the major hub connecting the East and West.
Image: Aerial view of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Photo: courtesy of Craig Butz.
