It never gets old for those who would promote Atlanta as a business destination, even after 20 years: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is yet again the busiest airport in the world, according to preliminary numbers compiled by the airport.
The airport handled nearly 107.4 million in 2018, an increase of 3.33 percent over the previous year — and that was before the Super Bowl, which saw the airport set a record for the number of passengers screened in a single day: 101,999 (along with 53,781 checked bags). That number would make it the busiest airport in the world for 21 years running.
The 2017 year had seen the airport’s traffic sputter a bit after it became the first airport in the world to hit nine digits, or 100 million passengers, a distinction it still holds.
The 2018 numbers will be certified this spring by Airports Council International, the global trade group for airports.
International passengers also continued to grow last year, up to 12.5 million from last year’s 12 million, a 3.61 percent increase. While remaining on a positive trajectory, that was a bit slower than last year’s more than 5 percent growth.
