Travelers wait in line before they are allowed to search for their luggage in a baggage holding area for Southwest Airlines at Denver International Airport on December 28, 2022 in Denver, Colorado.
Travelers wait in line at Denver International Airport, the world's sixth busiest airport.
  • New data on the world's busiest airports in 2023 reveals the latest trends in global travel. 
  • 8.5 billion passengers traveled by plane last year, almost marking a return to pre-pandemic levels.   
  • Airports in Asia and the Middle East became busier, but the US has once again clinched the top spot. 

International travel is almost back to pre-pandemic levels, according to the just-released list of the world's busiest airports in 2023.