2023 witnessed a significant recovery in global air travel, with many airports surpassing pre-pandemic passenger volumes. Airports Council International (ACI) data from July 2024 indicates that Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson remained the world's busiest airport, serving 105 million passengers, a 5% decrease compared to 2019. However, the overall global passenger traffic in 2023 reached 94.3% of 2019 levels, with projections for 2024 and 2029 indicating a further increase to 104% and 129%, respectively.
While ACI estimates 8.7 billion passengers for 2023, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) presents a more conservative figure of 4.5 billion scheduled passengers, including domestic, international, and connecting traffic. Regardless of the specific numbers, the overall trend points toward a robust recovery in the aviation industry.