For the well-researched frequent traveler, the 11 busiest airports in America should be on the must-know list. America not only has some of the biggest business hubs in the world but also a many major tourist destinations. It is, therefore, no rocket science to deduce that the number of passengers traveling in, out and around the country should be huge in numbers. And, sooner or later every traveler, be it for business trips or leisurely explorations, finds themselves getting aboard to set to the country of many possibilities.
The footfall in some these busiest airports in America run into crazy numbers and, over the years, have shown no signs of decrease. Instead, the airport authorities are striving to increase their operations to cater to an even larger passenger numbers, in anticipation of a further rise. Some of them are also on the top of the list when considering the world airport traffic. Quite obviously, the reason for the heavy traffic is because these airports cater to some of the major and most popular cities in the country, including New York and LA. Also, they are one of the most modernized ones with superior customer service in most cases. When taken as a hub they tackle at least 1% of the total USA passenger enplanements.
If staying away from the hustle is one of your biggest traveling priorities this list will help you sort out your US trip perfectly. You could also consider planning your trip by taking into account the nearby, much less crowded, airports catering to the same cities. But if the energy of big airports and orderly crowds thrills you should also look through the 10 Biggest Airports in the World along with this list.
For the sake of this list, we are considering the busiest airports in America in terms of total passenger traffic. You may find that some of the top ones aren’t the ones getting the most number of international travelers but, local passengers traveling between cities. So if insane crowds and lengthy queues do not seem to bother you, landing in one of these airports could actually be an interesting experience. Here’s the list:
11. Charlotte Douglas International Airport
City: Charlotte, North Carolina
The joint civil-military public International Airport located in Charlotte North Carolina is US Airways’ biggest hub and serves almost 175 international and domestic destinations.
10. George Bush Intercontinental Airport
City: Houston, Texas
Considered to be one of the fastest growing airports in the country, the airport experienced traffic of almost 40,128,953 in 2013. Named after the 41st President of United States, George H.W. Bush, it has the largest passenger hub and carries nearly 45000 passengers daily.
9. McCarran International Airport
City: Paradise, Nevada
Serving as the commercial airport for both the Las Vegas Valley and Clark County, McCarran International Airport spreads across 2,800 acres and consists of four runways and two terminals. It is also the largest operating base for Allegiant Air and Southwest Airlines.
8. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
City: Phoenix, Arizona
The civil-military public airport in Arizona tackles almost 1200 aircraft operations and carries up to 1,00,000 passengers and 800 tons of cargo in a day. Besides that it is also the domestic hub and focus airport of some of the major airlines in the country.
7. Miami International Airport
City: Miami, Florida
The airport serves as a focus and hub for some bug airlines and cargo carriers for both passenger and cargo operations. Miami being a popular location for both tourists and businessmen, it is no doubt the airport experiences great amount of traffic. However, it also owes a large portion of its traffic to its strategic location to handle travel between the States and Latin America.
6. John F. Kennedy International Airport
City: New York, New York
New York is one of the biggest and most important cities in the world. Hence, number of people commuting through it is considerably large. The airport is one of the only three airports in the country with direct flights to all continents. It is also the busiest international gateway for air passengers.
5. Denver International Airport
City: Denver, Colorado
The largest airport in the United States in terms of area coverage, Denver International Airport features on the 5th position of our list for handling the traffic of almost 52,850,000 passengers. In terms of domestic network, it comes third.
4. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
City: Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Texas
The airport serves almost 200 destinations including 55 international locations. When considering the number of aircraft traffic, it is the third busiest airport in the world.
3. Los Angeles International Airport
The Lax possibly sees the most amounts of celebrity passengers in the country. It also has the most traffic of non-connecting passengers. LAX is the busiest in Greater Los Angeles even though there are four other airports that serve the area.
2. O’Hare International Airport
City: Chicago, Illinois
Interestingly, O’Hare International Airport is the busiest airport in terms of take-offs and landings of airplanes with the largest number of daily flights of up to585 flights. It is the hub of important airlines including American Airlines and United Airlines. It has been considered as the best airport in the US by many publications.
1. Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport
City: Atlanta, Georgia
The airport has total passenger traffic of almost 95 million in a year and around 95,000 flights. Not only is Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport one of the busiest airports in America but also is number one in the world ranking of busiest airports.
