Air travel is back in a big way, more than five years since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world.

Airports from Atlanta to Tokyo are serving tens of millions of travelers each year. But what these sprawling transportation hubs look like from high above may surprise you.

Here's a bird's eye view of the busiest airports around the world.

The world's busiest airport can be found in the U.S. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) ranks first, according to OAG data, with 62.7 million seats in 2024. ATL, a hub for Delta Air Lines and operating base for carriers like Frontier, Southwest and Spirit, carries close to 110 million passengers annually.

Dubai International Airport, which aims to top 100 million travelers by 2027, is the world's first international airport to earn the coveted Certified Autism Centre (CAC) designation and continues to work to enhance accessible travel in 2025. According to OAG, DXB¡¯s airline capacity grew significantly since 2023, with seats increasing by 7 percent year-on-year.

With 51,516,707 seats and nearly 88 million passengers served, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport¡ªwhich is also the world's sixth-largest airport¡ªis a hub for American Airlines, which is the largest airline in the world in terms of passengers carried and daily flights.

Asia is no stranger to bustling airports but Japan's Tokyo Haneda Airport is the busiest of them all, ranking fourth globally with 55,204,580 seats, according to OAG. The airport served 85 million travelers last year, giving it a significant edge over busy airports in Seoul, Singapore and Beijing.

Europe's busiest airport is in London. Heathrow Airport boasts a whopping 51,553,190 seats and served close to 84 million passengers last year. The busy airport was recently impacted by a crippling power outage that created headaches for tens of thousands of travelers.

One of several United Airlines hubs, Denver International Airport ranks among the top 10 busiest airports in the world with 49,218,244 seats and more than 82 million passengers served in 2024.?At 33,531 acres, it's the second-largest airport in the world and the largest in the Western Hemisphere.

Chicago's O'Hare International Airport covers a whopping 7,627 acres on the Windy City's Northwest Side and served more than 80 million passengers last year. ORD is also a hub for two of the world's biggest airlines in American and United.?

Istanbul Airport in Turkey is Europe's second busiest, serving just under 80 million passengers in 2024. This sprawling transportation hub is also the world's fifth-largest airport, which is good news as it connects two of the world's seven continents in Europe and Asia.

Southern California's Los Angeles International Airport is easily the busiest airport on the U.S. West Coast, serving more than 76 million passengers in 2024. That's roughly 24 million more than Seattle-Tacoma and San Francisco International Airports.