The Covid Pandemic re-arranged the world’s busiest airport rankings for the first time in decades. The Guangzhou Bai Yun International Airport in China was the world’s busiest aiport in terms of passenger traffic in 2020. The traditional winner, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was unseated from the top position for the first time in 20 years to rank at number two.

Since China quashed the virus better than any other country in the world including the developed world, air travel there swiftly recovered. Accordingly 7 of the top 10 busiest airports last year were in China as shown in the chart below.

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Airport Codes:

1. Guangzhou (CAN)
2. Atlanta (ATL) 
3. Chengdu (CTU)
4. Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) 
5. Shenzhen (SZX)
6. Beijing (PEK)
7. Denver (DEN)
8. Kunming (KMG)
9. Shanghai (SHA)
10. Xi’an (XIY)

Source: COVID pandemic reshuffles list of busiest airports, DW