Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL)
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL) at a glance
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest airport in the world, a title it has held for 27 of the last 28 years, handling 106.3 million passengers in 2025. Its secret is geography plus design: 80% of the US population lives within a two-hour flight, and its five-runway, seven-concourse layout processes connections faster than any comparable hub.
Atlanta is above all Delta Air Lines' fortress, the largest single airline hub on the planet, from which the carrier built the most profitable airline in the world. The airport is also an economic engine for Georgia, generating tens of billions of dollars annually, and its ATLNext capital programme keeps expanding capacity to defend the crown.
Hub & base airlines
| Airline | Role | Terminal |
|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | Primary hub, the largest airline hub in the world | Domestic and International terminals |
Terminals & infrastructure
ATL's layout is the template for hub efficiency: two terminals bracket seven parallel concourses linked by the underground Plane Train, between five parallel runways that let the airport lead the world in movements. Delta's operation here is the largest single airline hub anywhere, and a multibillion-dollar ATLNext programme is modernizing concourses and adding gates.Full specifications
Frequently asked questions
Location and design: 80% of the US population is within a two-hour flight, and Delta's giant hub funnels connections through an exceptionally efficient five-runway, seven-concourse layout.
It has topped the world rankings for 27 of the last 28 years, interrupted only by the pandemic year of 2020.
Delta dominates with the largest airline hub in the world; Southwest is the second-largest operator, alongside dozens of international carriers.