The 10 busiest airports in the world by international passenger traffic host over 550 million people annually, or in other words, nearly 8% of the world’s population. Currently, traveling is at an all-time high. Most countries have realized the importance of tourism and some countries such as the United Arab Emirates have made it their prime source of income.
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The ability to assimilate into new cultures, experience new cuisines and traveling to distant and exotic locations has made traveling an addiction for many. Due to the general distance between countries and the lack of time available to people, planes are the most common form of international travel for tourists. In order to accommodate the hundreds of millions of people traveling every single year, airports are an absolute necessity. The countries with the highest levels of tourists also have the largest and most luxurious airports in the world, as evidenced in the 10 biggest airports in the world. These airports are manned by thousands of personnel, have a level of security few can even dream of breaching and cost hundreds of millions to be built. While it is not easy to facilitate such a large influx of people, the following airports, which are the 10 busiest airports in the world by international passenger traffic, according to the Airports Council International:
10. Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok, Thailand
Total number of passengers for the 12 months ended December 2014: 37,183,099
With its incredible cuisine,natural beauty and the fact that it is not very expensive to visit the city, Bangkok’s premier airport hosts a lot of travelers. Furthermore, it also operates as a center or gateway for foreign airplane carriers, thus increasing the number of international passengers being hosted by the airport.
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9. Ataturk International Airport, Istanbul, Turkey
Total number of passengers for the 12 months ended December 2014: 38,037,302
The only city which naturally spans two continents, it is no surprise that Istanbul, with its combination of history and modern architecture and culture, is visited by throngs of tourists each year.
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8. Incheon International Airport, Sudogwon, South Korea
Total number of passengers for the 12 months ended December 2014: 44,906,813
A stark contrast to its neighbor North Korea, South Korea has always enjoyed a steady stream of tourists and the Incheon International Airport has been ranked as the best airport in the world every single year since 2005 by the Airport International Council while Skytrax has called it as the best international transit airport in the world as well.
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7. Frankfurt Airport, Frankfurt, Germany
Total number of passengers for the 12 months ended December 2014: 52,713,013
Germany has had no shortage of tourists ever since it rebuilt itself after World War II and this has been proven by Frankfurt Airport, which is considered to be the main hub for Lufthansa, a German airline.
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6. Singapore Changi Airport, Singapore
Total number of passengers for the 12 months ended December 2014: 54,093,070
Singapore is considered to be a business hub internationally, which is why it is often the location for business meetings. The fact that it has been considered to have the best investment potential by BERI has only added to its appeal, showing why its premier airport has over 50 million international visitors annually.
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5. Amsterdam Airport, North Holland, Netherlands
Total number of passengers for the 12 months ended December 2014: 54,940,534
Amsterdam is an extremely popular tourist spot due its canals and natural beauty, not to mention the free availability of drugs such as marijuana and the fact that bikes outnumbers other vehicles as the primary mode of transportation.
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4. Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, France
Total number of passengers for the 12 months ended December 2014: 58,623,111
The city of love has a lot of reasons for tourists to visit, be it a romantic walk along the River Seine, visiting the Louvre, the most famous museum in the world or going to the top of one of the most famous buildings in the world, the Eiffel Tower.
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3. Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong
Total number of passengers for the 12 months ended December 2014: 62,929,420
Like Singapore, Hong Kong is also considered to be a global financial hub as well as one of the biggest ports in Asia, leading to it being known as a global city. Many businessmen travel to Hong Kong in order to take advantage of the low tax rates and the free market economy, resulting in an overwhelming number of tourists travelling to the the spot.
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2. London Heathrow Airport, London, United Kingdom
Total number of passengers for the 12 months ended December 2014: 68,091,095
It is no surprise that the Heathrow Airport is number 2 on the list of 15 biggest airports in the world by international passenger traffic, due to it being located in the most visited city in the continent of Europe.
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1. Dubai International Airport, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Total number of passengers for the 12 months ended December 2014: 69,954,392
Due to the money generated because of the vast reserves of oil and natural gas, Dubai was transformed from a desert into a city containing every possible amenity, and has spent billions in attracting foreigners to invest and visit the place, with the investment being a resounding success, hence making Dubai the biggest airport in the world by international passenger traffic.
