(Image source from: Indianexpress.com)

Global air travel wrapped up 2025 on a bustling note, with key airport destinations showing strong seat availability for December, as per information from OAG. The latest standings emphasize how major airports still lead year-end journeys, fueled by holiday travel, robust airline connections, and steady demand for both local and global routes. Importantly, India has claimed a spot among the globe's busiest airports, showcasing the nation's expanding role in worldwide air travel. OAG produces two different rankings for "global airports" and "international airports." The global list is based on the overall scheduled airline capacity, which includes both local and global flights, while the international list focuses solely on seats for overseas journeys. This difference is crucial, as airports with large domestic operations may seem busier by the number of flights but not by total passenger capacity.

For December 2025, Dubai International Airport maintained its status as the busiest airport in the world by seat availability. The airport had 5.50 million scheduled seats, an increase of 4 percent compared to December 2024. Dubai's ranking is bolstered by its status as a key long-distance hub, extensive connections across continents, and ongoing tourism demand during the winter travel season.

India's Indira Gandhi International Airport also stood out, securing seventh place globally. Delhi Airport recorded 4.31 million seats, marking a 9 percent rise from the previous year. This growth points to increasing domestic travel numbers, broader international links, and the airport's significance as a vital hub for South Asia. Such airports often merge important geographic locations, leading home airlines, large infrastructure, and strong economic or tourism attraction, enabling them to manage high passenger numbers even during busy times.

OAG determines the "busiest" airports based on scheduled seat capacity, offering a predictive view of how many passengers airlines plan to transport. This differs from rankings that rely solely on flight movements, which count take-offs and landings. Airports with many short-haul domestic flights may operate many flights but carry fewer passengers per plane. Rankings based on capacity instead highlight airports that manage larger planes, longer distances, or consistently high demand. For travelers, these rankings provide a glimpse into where the top air travel hubs in the world are situated and how cities like Delhi are increasingly competing with well-established global gateways.

Based on total scheduled capacity for December 2025, the world's busiest airports are:

Dubai International Airport (DXB) - 5,498,334 seats
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) - 5,211,533
Tokyo International Airport, Haneda (HND) - 4,675,127
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) - 4,430,746
London Heathrow Airport (LHR) - 4,345,154
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) - 4,317,590
Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) - 4,306,307
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) - 4,290,733
Istanbul Airport (IST) - 4,224,881
Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) - 4,119,711