The latest annual ACI global airport traffic rankings are out:

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Dubai International Airport, Tokyo Haneda Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, and Shanghai Pudong International Airport ranked among the global top five. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport has re-entered the top ten.

Shanghai Pudong rose from 10th place last year to 5th this year, marking the most significant jump among the top ten airports.

In addition, last month also saw the release of 2025’s global city rankings regarding airport passenger traffic. Shanghai, with a combined total of 135 million passengers across Pudong and Hongqiao, debuted in the global top three, surpassing Tokyo (Haneda + Narita) to become Asia’s busiest aviation city.

A similar rebound is observed in Guangzhou, which handled 83.583 million passengers in 2025, moving up from 12th to 9th in the global rankings.

Overall, the top ten rankings indicate a structural shift: Mature North American markets are experiencing slower growth as leading hubs stabilize, while Chinese airports are rapidly recovering and ascending again. Simultaneously, Middle Eastern hubs, represented by Istanbul Airport, are changing global traffic flows with their expanding networks.