8,8 billion people (or 1.14 times the world population) passed through an airport in 2018, in one of the 99.9 million aircraft movements, according to the latest report published by the Airports Council International (ACI). The obtained figures represent a year-on-year increase of 6.4% in global airport traffic.
In absolute terms, the airport with the most passenger traffic in the world remains (for 21 consecutive years) Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, with more than 107 million passengers. It is followed by Beijing Capital’s International Airport, with 100.9 million travellers, Dubai’s International Airport, with 89.1 million passengers, fourth is Los Angeles airport, with 87.5 million and Tokyo in the fifth place, with 86.9 million voyagers.
However, the five fastest growing airports in the world during 2018, as highlighted by the ACI report, are Bangalore Airport, India (with passenger traffic of 32.3 million and an increase of 29.1%), Antalya Airport, Turkey (with 31.9 million travellers and a 22.1% increase), Hyderabad Airport, India (with a 21.9% growth and 20.9 million passengers), Vnukovo Airport, Russian Federation (21.4 million passengers and 18.4% growth) and Jinan Airport, China (which welcomed 16.6 million passengers and grew 16% over the past year).
Regarding Spanish airports, according to AENA data, the total number of passengers that passed through its airports in 2018 was 263.7 million, 5.8% more than in 2017. The ones that grew the most were Seville (with 6.3 million passengers and an increase of 24.9%), Tenerife-North (through which 5.4 million passengers, a growth of 16.7%) and Valencia (with 7.7 million of travellers and a 15.2% increase).
On the other hand, the Spanish airport with the most passengers was once again, the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas, which moved a total of 57.8 million visitors, representing an increase of 8.4% over the previous year. In second place is the Barcelona-El Prat airport, with 50.1 million passengers, 6.1% more. Finally, Palma de Mallorca was the third Spanish airport by number of travellers, with a 4% increase and 29 million passengers.
Sources: Hosteltur, Indian Transport and Logistics News, The New Barcelona Post.
