Although the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on
the global airline industry over the past year and a half, airports across the
United States continue to see millions of passengers pass through their doors
every month. That being said, though, COVID-19 has reshuffled the rankings for
which airport is the biggest and busiest in the nation.
Let’s take a look at the top 10 busiest and largest airports
in the United States and explore what makes them such influential travel hubs
for not just the US but the entire world. We should state ahead of time that
these rankings were compiled based on the total number of passengers
transported through each airport, not the number of flights.
You can find a list of the ten largest US airports by
landmass here:
Image by Joe Nazarian via FlickrHartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) has
quite the reputation to uphold. For years, it’s been known as the world’s
busiest airport, thanks to its prime location as a connecting hub for much of
the world. However, ATL lost this distinction earlier in 2021 to Guangzhou
International Airport in China.
Since then, ATL has reclaimed the top spot and is on track
to maintain it into the future. Regardless of its international ranking, ATL is
by far the busiest airport in the US. Currently, you can fly to 150 different
domestic locations as well as 75 international destinations through
Hartsfield-Jackson’s 2 terminals, 7 concourses, and 195 gates.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is also
home to Delta Airlines, which contributes most of the millions of passengers
who pass through the transportation hub. You may expect to find hordes of
people milling about, trying to make it through the crowds, but thanks to ATL’s
unique design and underground train system, it’s actually been ranked as one of
the world’s best and most efficient airports.
You can also thank the tens of thousands of workers currently employed at Hartsfield-Jackson for ensuring that your baggage arrives on time, you travel safely and have access to all the comforts and amenities you’d expect at the world’s busiest airport.
It‘s no surprise that Dallas/Fort Worth International
Airport (DFW) is the second-largest and busiest airport in the nation. It’s
held this title for many years now, even throughout the ongoing COVID-19
pandemic. This is largely thanks to American Airlines. As the headquarters and
largest hub for American Airlines, Dallas/Forth Worth draws in millions of
American and international travelers hoping to transfer to their next flight.
Just like Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, DFW is a massive
connecting hub, taking in and sending travelers across the globe. Currently,
you can fly to 149 domestic locations or 51 international destinations across
Asia, Europe, Latin America, and Australia.
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport consists of five separate terminals with over 170 gates and 7 runways. This makes it one of the largest airports in the nation, requiring more than 200,000 employees to staff flights, gates, security checkpoints, and the various other careers hosted by the airport. In fact, DFW is so large that it even has its own Zip Code.
Although it may not transport as many passengers as
Hartsfield-Jackson or Dallas/Fort Worth, in terms of sheer size, Denver
International Airport (DEN) is the largest airport in the nation and the
second-largest in the world. The only airport larger than Denver is the King
Fahd International Airport in Saudi Arabia.
The majority of passengers who fly through Denver
International Airport are destined for one of the 180 domestic locations
currently served by DEN. International passengers can fly to 28 locations in 14
countries around the world, including Japan, Germany, England, Mexico, and
Italy.
Interestingly, Denver International Airport is also home to
the longest commercial runway in North America.
Thanks to Denver’s high position in the Rocky Mountains, the air is thinner,
meaning that planes need an extra-long runway to create enough drag to slow
down for landing. All in all, it measures 16,000 ft, just under a full 5
kilometers.
Currently, Denver International Airport employs around
35,000 workers, making it one of the largest and most generous job creators in
Colorado.
There was once a time when Chicago O’Hare International
Airport (ORD) was the busiest transport hub in the United States but, over the
years, ORD has seen fewer passengers than before. Nonetheless, it’s still one
of the largest and busiest airports in the nation. As of 2019, it even managed
to surpass Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta in terms of how many flights left its
terminals.
Not only is Chicago O’Hare a major hub for American Airlines,
but it’s also the head office for United Airlines. The combination of two of
the world’s largest and most influential airlines has made ORD a powerhouse of
an airport. You can currently fly to 179 cities throughout the US or 54
overseas destinations on every major continent.
As of the date of writing, Chicago O’Hare consists of 4
terminals with 191 gates. However, an $8.5 billion fifth terminal is currently
under construction and is predicted to be finished by the end of 2021. The
fifth terminal will help alleviate some of the pressure on other terminals by
shifting domestic and regional travelers to a new concourse.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) may not be as
heavily trafficked as other airports on this list but it stands out for a few
reasons. Compared to Denver International Airport—the largest on the West
Coast—LAX serves far more international passengers, whereas DEN primarily
serves domestic flyers.
Thanks to its prime location on the Pacific coast, LAX is a
go-to transportation hub for anyone flying into or out of Asia. Currently, it
provides flights to 88 international cities in 39 countries, including
Singapore, China, Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines. If
you’re planning to visit the South Pacific, odds are you’ll fly through LAX.
While LAX does mostly cater to international passengers,
domestic flyers still have access to 105 cities throughout the United States.
Another fact that makes LAX stand out from other airports on
this list is that it’s one of only two hubs in the nation for United, Delta,
and American Airlines. It’s from this trifecta that LAX gets such a high volume
of traffic.
LAX consists of 146 terminals spread across 8 terminals,
with an additional 9th terminal under construction. The
ongoing expansions should be finished by the end of 2021.
If you’ve been keeping track of the busiest airports in the
United States for a few years, you may be surprised to see Phoenix Sky Harbor
International Airport (PHX) so high up on this list. For an airport that at one
time couldn’t compete with the likes of ATL, JFK, LAX, or ORD, Phoenix Sky
Harbor has been able to reach near pre-COVID passenger numbers in 2021.
This is thanks to their focus on providing quality domestic
flights through American and Southwest Airlines. In fact, their reliance on
domestic passengers accounted for roughly 80% of their total business for May.
From Phoenix, you can fly to 114 US cities or 24
international destinations located in North and South America and the United
Kingdom.
By far the largest and busiest airport in the Pacific
Northwest, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) has managed to survive
the COVID-19 pandemic by being the main headquarters for Alaska Airlines.
Before the pandemic, SEA was one of the fastest-growing airports in the nation
but, after global travel was halted, it’s had to put the breaks on its growth.
Nonetheless, Delta Air Lines has continued to expand into
SEA and you can now purchase flights to 93 domestic locations, as well as 29
international destinations across Asia, Europe, North America, and the Middle
East.
Currently, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has only one
terminal, divided into 6 concourses but they have been busy expanding and have
added 250 extra feet to accommodate 10 additional gates. As SEA continues to
grow, it’ll surely become a major transportation hub thanks to its unique
position near Asia and Europe.
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) may not serve
as many international flights as LAX but it’s still one of the largest domestic
hubs in the United States. Thanks to its many domestic flights, CLT has
actually been able to maintain business and move up in the rankings as others,
larger airports have dropped in passenger numbers.
American and Delta Airlines both fly out of CLT to 151
domestic cities and 36 international destinations across Europe and South and
Central America. The airport itself is rather small compared to others on this
list, with only a single terminal divided into five concourses. Three of those
concourses have their own runways, while the other two concourses share the
existing runways.
As of April 2021, Charlotte Douglas International Airport
has announced that they will build an additional fourth runway to speed up departure times.
Another surprising addition to this list, Orlando
International Airport has quickly jumped from being a smaller regional airport
marketed to international travelers coming to see amusement parks to becoming
one of the busiest airports in the nation. This is largely thanks to domestic
travelers who still want to explore Orlando and all it has to offer.
With a prime location just six miles away from downtown
Orlando, passengers can easily access MCO’s two terminals and find flights to
97 domestic cities or 25 international destinations. Among these destinations,
you can fly to Europe, South and Central America, and the Middle East.
Currently, MCO has set a $1.1 billion investment plan into
action to expand its Northern Terminal and construct an intramodal transport
facility to ferry passengers throughout the two terminals with ease. As of
2021, the expansion has mostly finished and you can ride on their transport
system from Terminal 1 to 2.
COVID-19 hasn’t been friendly to John F. Kennedy
International Airport (JFK). Since the start of the pandemic, JFK has dropped
from being one of the busiest airports in the United States to resting
somewhere in the mid-tier range. However, we should note that, as of writing
this article, JFK International Airport has not yet released passenger data for
July, so their numbers may be higher.
We can attribute JFK’s shocking drop in passenger numbers to
the fact that it’s primarily an international gateway for passengers coming
from or heading to Europe. Additionally, fewer tourists are coming to visit New
York City, which once drew in millions of travelers every year.
Today, passengers can fly to 71 domestic cities or visit 112
locations around the globe in 75 other nations. Both Delta and American
Airlines fly through JFK International Airport, servicing flights to every
major continent and nearly all major cities.
JFK International Airport is also one of the largest
employers in the city, paying out roughly $30 billion in wages to its 35,000
employees.
As you can see, COVID-19 has greatly reduced the number of
international passengers flying in and out of the United States. As a result,
some of the longest-standing busiest airports in the nation are no longer
handling the vast volumes of passengers they once saw. Instead, domestic
flights reign supreme, pushing PHX and MSO higher into the ranking.
As international flights return, though, will they be able to hold their spots? Only time can tell!
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