What airport has the most takeoffs and landings?

Leading airports worldwide based on aircraft movements 2021 In 2021, there were over 707,000 take-offs and landings at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, making it the world's busiest airport by aircraft movements.



In 2026, Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) holds the title for the most aircraft takeoffs and landings (movements) in the world. According to preliminary 2025 and early 2026 FAA data, O'Hare handled over 857,000 aircraft operations, narrowly surpassing its long-time rival, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). While Atlanta remains the world's busiest airport by total passenger volume—due to its use of larger aircraft and higher load factors—O'Hare's complex hub-and-spoke system for United and American Airlines involves a higher frequency of smaller regional and narrow-body flights. This "operational volume" makes O'Hare the most active airfield globally. Other major contenders in this category include Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Denver (DEN), both of which have seen massive expansion in 2026. For travelers, this high volume means O'Hare is one of the most "connected" hubs in the world, though it also requires one of the most sophisticated air traffic control operations to manage the near-constant stream of arrivals and departures across its eight active runways.

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