With over 110 million annual passengers flying through its terminals, Atlanta’s Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport has topped the charts as the world’s busiest airport every year since 1998. From its beginnings in 1925 as a muddy airfield to an international transit mega-hub, let’s trace Hartsfield-Jackson’s trajectory and stack its stats against domestic and global rivals today.

From the 20s to Today: The Evolution of Hartsfield-Jackson

The origins of Hartsfield-Jackson date back to 1925, when an Atlanta airfield called Candler Field after Coca-Cola magnate Asa Candler opened its runways on what were formerly horse racing grounds. Despite humble beginnings and early years fraught with safety issues from nearby railways, Candler Field pushed airmail and passenger transit forward as southern air transport gained momentum through the 30s and 40s. Its first terminal opened in 1930 and air traffic control tower in 1948.

To manage the airport’s explosive postwar growth in passengers and flights, the City of Atlanta assumed control in 1956 with expansion plans in mind. Over the next decades, upgrades in infrastructure, longer runways and incremental terminal additions first set the field on top nationally by cumulative takeoffs and landings in the 1960s. International arrivals took off in 1970 as influences snowballed.  

An ambitious decade of growth followed in the 80s with huge renovations to parking, ground transit and more gates which readied it for record traffic as Eastern Air Lines’ hometown hub. In 2003, Atlanta City Council voted to change the name to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport to honor former Mayors William Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson for their pivotal efforts developing it over the years.

Fun Facts and Vital Statistics

Now that we’ve traced the airport’s evolving identity, let’s spotlight key stats on its facilities and flights:

• Seven runways ranging over 9,000 – 12,000 feet handle 2,700+ flights daily

• 4.8 million square foot central passenger terminal is the largest in the U.S.

• Employs over 63,400 staff making it one of Georgia’s largest jobs center

• Some 25,000+ parking spaces across multiple garages

• Over 20 major carriers operate 600+ daily domestic U.S. flights

Benchmarking Against the Nation and the World

How does Atlanta stack up to other major U.S. and global airports moving travelers and cargo?

By total passenger traffic both arriving and departing:

• 1st nationally and globally the past 24 years running

• Nearly 2.5x passenger count of 2nd place (Dallas/Fort Worth)

Total aircraft operations also ranks highly:

• 10th nationally with over 900k takeoffs/landings yearly

• Only 9th globally by flight volume

For cargo Atlanta weighs in:

• 7th nationally @ ~680k metric tons annually

• 39th globally

No doubt then Atlanta leads domestically, doubling its next closest rival. But surprisingly it doesn’t place first worldwide by flights or cargo, displaced by mega-hubs like Beijing or Dubai built expressly as global crossroads…