The topsy-turvy effects of the pandemic and its aftermath on travel continue to pop up in unexpected ways, with U.S. airports absolutely dominating the list of world’s busiest fields, with only two others making it into the ‘top ten.’
Figures for 2021 from Airports Council International put Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson back at the top, its usual spot for many years, joined by three others (LAX at 5, O’Hare at 4 and DFW at 2) that were in the top ten in the last normal year, 2019. They were joined by Denver (3, 16 in 2021), Charlotte (6, 34), Orlando (7, 31) and Las Vegas (10, 30).
Two Chinese airports, Guangzhou and Chengdu nabbed spots 8 and 9, up from 11 and 24 the year for 2020, but down from 1 and 3 in 2019, the year Atlanta first missed the top spot.
In 2020, as China’s air network revived while few others were flying more than a small fraction of their normal schedules, seven Chinese airports were on the list.
