Chicago O’Hare Ranked Top Global Airport for Aircraft Movements

Airports Council International (ACI) World released its 2025 rankings of the world’s busiest airports on April 14, 2026, identifying Chicago O’Hare International Airport as the global leader in aircraft movements.

The rankings, which evaluate hubs based on total passengers, international passengers, air cargo, and aircraft movements, highlight the role of these airports in anchoring global connectivity and the movement of people, and goods.

Aircraft Movements and Operational Rankings

Chicago O’Hare International Airport secured the first position globally for aircraft movements in 2025. According to preliminary full-year figures provided by ACI, O’Hare recorded 860,015 total movements, representing a 10.8% increase.

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Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport followed in second place with 807,625 movements, a 1.4% increase. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport ranked third with 743,394 movements.

Other airports appearing in the top ten for aircraft movements include:

• Denver International Airport: 701,335 movements
• Harry Reid International Airport: 586,046 movements
• Los Angeles International Airport: 580,996 movements
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport: 574,193 movements
• Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport: 550,512 movements
• Istanbul Airport: 549,309 movements
• Shanghai Pudong International Airport: 528,074 movements

Passenger Traffic Trends

While Chicago O’Hare led in aircraft operations, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport maintained its position as the world’s busiest airport for total passenger traffic. Atlanta processed 106.3 million passengers in 2025.

Dubai International Airport ranked second with 95.2 million passengers, while Tokyo Haneda Airport rose to third place with 91.7 million passengers.

ACI World estimated that global total passengers reached 9.8 billion in 2025. This figure represents a 3.6% increase from 2024 and a 7.3% gain compared to 2019 results. The top 10 busiest airports for total passenger traffic accounted for 9% of all global passenger traffic.

Infrastructure and Strategic Growth

The growth at Chicago O’Hare follows a trend of increasing activity. In 2024, the airport had handled 776,036 aircraft movements, which was a 7.7% increase over 2023 figures at that time. During 2024, O’Hare also processed more than 80 million passengers and was ranked as the eighth busiest airport in the world for passengers.

CDA Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee stated that the Chicago Department of Aviation remains focused on the O’Hare 21 capital program to modernize the facility into a premier international hub.

As passenger volumes and operations reach their highest levels of the decade, the CDA team remains focused on delivering a world-class experience at O’Hare and, through the O’Hare 21 capital program, advancing our efforts to modernize it into a premier international hub that meets the needs of travelers for generations to come.

Jamie L. Rhee, CDA Commissioner

Mayor Brandon Johnson noted that O’Hare’s ranking for aircraft movements reflects the city’s commitment to investing in infrastructure that drives economic opportunity.

Chicago has long stood at the crossroads of global travel and commerce, and O’Hare’s ranking as the world’s second-busiest airport for aircraft movements is a powerful reflection of that legacy.

Mayor Brandon Johnson (referring to 2024 rankings)

ACI World Director General Justin Erbacci emphasized the necessity of sustained government investment in airports and the broader aviation ecosystem to keep pace with rising demand and increasing operational complexity.