World's 20 busiest airports

Airports Council International's data for January-July 2011 gives an insight into the world's 20 busiest airports.

1. Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Passengers: 53,892,885

It has been the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic, number of landings and take-offs since 2005.

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2. Beijing Capital International Airport
Chaoyang, Beijing, China

Passengers: 44,097,339

This airport become the busiest airport in Asia in terms of passenger traffic and total traffic movements by 2009.

Beijing Capital International Airport is currently the 2nd busiest airport in the world.

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3. London Heathrow Airport
Greater London, England, United Kingdom

Passengers: 39,762,295

It is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world (as of 2011) in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe.

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4. O'Hare International Airport
Chicago, Illinois, United States

Passengers: 38,248,474

O'Hare has a strong international presence, with flights to more than 60 foreign destinations.

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5. Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles, California, United States

Passengers: 35,933,812

LAX is the busiest airport in California in terms of flight operations, passenger traffic and air cargo activity.

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6. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
Roissy-en-France, France

Passengers: 34,969,496

France's biggest airport is the world's sixth busiest airport and Europe's second busiest airport.

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7. Tokyo International Airport
Ota, Tokyo, Japan

Passengers: 33,524,239

This airport handles the majority of international passenger traffic to and from Japan, and is also a major connecting point for air traffic between Asia and the Americas.

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8. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, United States

Passengers: 33,498,596

It is the tenth busiest international gateway in the United States, and second in Texas,

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9. Frankfurt Airport
Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany

Passengers: 32,090,166

Frankfurt Airport is by far the busiest airport by passenger traffic in Germany, the third busiest in Europe.

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10. Denver International Airport
Denver, Colorado, United States

Passengers: 30,570,965

It is the largest international airport in the United States, and the third largest international airport in the world.

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11. Hong Kong International Airport
Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong, China

Passengers: 30,481,000

An important regional trans-shipment centre, passenger hub and gateway for destinations in Mainland China and the rest of Asia, Hong Kong International Airport has won eight Skytrax World Airport Awards for customer satisfaction in eleven years.

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12. Dubai International Airport
Garhoud, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Passengers: 29,291,927

It is a major aviation hub in the Middle East, and is the main airport of Dubai.

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13. Madrid Barajas Airport
Madrid, Spain

Passengers: 28,792,188

It was the world's 11th busiest airport and Europe's fourth busiest airport. It opened in 1928, and has grown to be one of the most important aviation centres of Europe.

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14. Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
Haarlemmermeer, North Holland, Netherlands

Passengers: 28,266,665

Schiphol is Europe's 5th busiest and the world's 14th busiest by total passenger traffic.

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15. Suvarnabhumi Airport

Bang Phli, Samut Prakan, Thailand
Passengers: 28,162,022

Suvarnabhumi is the third busiest airport in Asia and is also a major air cargo hub.

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16. John F. Kennedy International Airport
Queens, New York City, New York, United States

Passengers: 27,720,474

It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North America.

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17. Singapore Changi Airport
Changi, East Region, Singapore

Passengers: 26,575,732

Since its opening in 1981, the airport has made its mark in the aviation industry as a benchmark for service excellence, winning over 380 awards since 1981, including 28 'Best' awards in 2010.

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18. McCarran International Airport
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Passengers: 24,043,383

It is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, United States.

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19. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Passengers: 24,037,430

It is Arizona's largest and busiest airport, and the largest commercial airport in the American Southwest.

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20. Shanghai Pudong International Airport
Pudong, Shanghai, China

Passengers: 23,697,018

Shanghai Pudong International Airport is a fast-growing hub for both passenger and cargo traffic.