IN METRO: Hartsfield-Jackson gun seizures hit record in 2015
Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport again wears the double crown as the world’s busiest airport, ranking highest in both flight counts and passengers for 2015.
The Atlanta airport lost half the title when the flight count for 2014 fell below that of Chicago O’Hare International.
But Atlanta last year reclaimed the No. 1 spot from Chicago for flight totals, with 882,497 flights compared with O’Hare’s 875,136, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The Atlanta airport remained well ahead of Chicago in passenger counts, with nearly 101.5 million passengers using Hartsfield-Jackson in 2015, up 5.5 percent. That set a world record, marking the first time an airport has handled more than 100 million passengers in a single year. Hartsfield-Jackson also saw growth in cargo traffic, with more than a 4 percent increase in tonnage.
The “busiest” mantle comes with some downsides. During busy periods and over the holidays, Hartsfield-Jackson has been plagued with long lines that sometimes wind through the terminal. The concourses become crowded and can be difficult to navigate for those unfamiliar with the layout.
But airport and city officials are proud of the title, mentioning it during almost every speech about the airport and emphasizing their intent on holding on to the title.
Atlanta’s status as busiest in passenger counts could be in jeopardy in coming years. Beijing, China’s airport is growing quickly, and Dubai’s airport has expanded to accommodate as many as 240 million passengers a year.
