Airports Council Releases 2025 North American Airport Traffic Rankings

WASHINGTON - Airports Council International - North America (ACI-NA), the trade association representing commercial service airports in the United States and Canada, today released its 2025 North American airport traffic rankings. The report offers a comprehensive look at passenger traffic, cargo volume, and aircraft movements across the region's busiest airports, highlighting the continued strength and resilience of North America's airport system.

"2025 was a year of resilience and adaptability for North America's airports. Even as the industry navigated shifting demand patterns in 2025, airports continued to make investments to modernize infrastructure, expand capacity, and improve the passenger experience," said ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke. "Across North America, cargo hubs kept goods moving efficiently, and airport employees worked to keep operations running smoothly. That commitment to local communities is what keeps our industry strong."

Global travel demand remained strong in 2025, with international passenger traffic at North American airports growing 0.3 percent over 2024. Domestic volumes softened slightly, a shift industry analysts have tied to supply chain constraints affecting aircraft deliveries and slower capacity growth among low-cost carriers. Cargo traffic remained steady, as continued growth in international freight offset a pullback in domestic freight volumes.

Key Findings

• Passenger traffic declined slightly in 2025, falling 0.7 percent from 2024. While international passenger traffic grew 0.3 percent, domestic passenger volumes fell 1.0 percent. Four U.S. airports ranked among the world's 10 busiest by total passenger traffic.
• Despite a 1.6 percent decrease from 2024, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport remained the busiest airport in North America and the world in 2025 with 106.3 million passengers.
• Toronto Pearson International Airport is once again Canada's most traveled airport with 47.2 million passengers, an increase of 1.0 percent from 2024.
• Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport surpassed Memphis International Airport as North America's busiest cargo airport in 2025, handling 3.9 million metric tons, an increase of 4.2 percent from 2024.
• Seven out of the top 10 airports globally for aircraft movements were in the United States.

Passenger Traffic

Passenger traffic declined slightly in 2025, falling 0.7 percent from 2024, driven by lower domestic passenger volumes. While international passenger traffic grew 0.3 percent, domestic passenger volumes fell 1.0 percent from 2024.

Cargo Volume

After rising 2.8 percent in 2024, overall air cargo traffic fell 0.3 percent in 2025, as a 7.6 percent decline in domestic freight outweighed steady growth in international freight, which increased 3.5 percent over 2024.

Aircraft Movements

After a 3.0 percent increase in 2024, growth in total aircraft movements slowed to 0.4 percent in 2025. General aviation/military movements fell 1.1 percent and all-cargo movements fell 4.1 percent, while passenger and combined movements grew modestly, rising 0.7 percent over 2024.

Note: Cargo is freight + mail, including express, loaded and unloaded (arriving or departing) at the airport. Freight comprises goods, newspapers, diplomatic bags, parcel post and express parcel.

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