Changi Airport ranks fourth-busiest for international passengers in 2025: report
It served 69.4 million international passengers in 2025, up 3.5% from 2024
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[SINGAPORE] Singapore’s Changi Airport remained the fourth-busiest airport in the world for international passenger traffic in 2025, a report by Airports Council International on Tuesday (Apr 14) showed.
The airport served 69.4 million international passengers in 2025, up 3.5 per cent from 2024.
Dubai International Airport maintained first place, with 95.2 million international travellers served, followed by London’s Heathrow Airport and South Korea’s Incheon Airport at 79.9 million and 73.6 million international travellers, respectively.
International passenger traffic reached four billion in 2025, up 5.9 per cent from 2024. The 10 busiest airports for such passengers represent 17 per cent of total international traffic, Airports Council International noted.
Total global passengers
In 2025, total global passengers rose an estimated 3.6 per cent year on year to 9.8 billion.
Airports Council International said that the 10 busiest airports for total passenger traffic represent 9 per cent of global passenger traffic.
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Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the US remained the world’s busiest airport for passenger traffic, with 106.3 million passengers. Dubai International Airport was next with 95.2 million passengers, while Tokyo’s Haneda Airport rose to third place with 91.7 million passengers.
Asia-Pacific airports rebound
Several airports in the Asia-Pacific region have rebounded, Airports Council International noted.
In 2025, Shanghai Pudong International Airport ranked the fifth-busiest airport with 85 million total passengers, up from 10th in 2024. The growth was “supported by international traffic recovery, visa policy easing and expanded connectivity”, Airports Council International said.
“The return of Chinese travel accelerated growth across Asia-Pacific and major hubs, strengthening global connectivity,” it added. Another airport in China, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, took the ninth spot, with 83.6 million passengers in 2025.
Outlook for aviation sector
Airports Council International noted that while global gross domestic product growth in 2025 was above expectations, air travel demand was affected by ongoing risks from trade tensions, protectionism and policy uncertainty.
It added that the rise in global airport traffic in 2025 was driven by international demand and recovery in the Asia-Pacific region, while North American and European hubs “neared saturation”.
Airspace closures and recent geopolitical conflicts have also increased flight times and costs, prompting rerouting and shifting traffic towards alternative hubs.
“Growth was increasingly limited by infrastructure and slot constraints in some regions, with aircraft delivery backlogs and air navigation limitations,” Airports Council International added.
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