Airports Council International (ACI) World has published the latest ACI World Airport Traffic Dataset, confirming the top 20 busiest cargo hubs in the world in 2024.
This follows preliminary data released in April, which ranked the top airports in the world through various metrics.
In its new data, ACI World confirmed that Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) retained its title as the world's busiest cargo airport in 2024. It was also the busiest air freight hub in 2023.
The airport has been the consistent top cargo hub for 13 years, although it dropped to second in 2020 due to the wide-ranging impacts of COVID-19.
[Source: ACI World]
The global trade representative of the world's airport authorities said HKG remained the world's busiest air cargo hub in 2024, recording 4.94 million metric tonnes of cargo last year, up 14.1% from the 4.33 million metric tonnes in 2023. It was also higher than the 4.2 million metric tonnes in 2022.
2024's figures are also 2.7% higher than the pre-pandemic volume handled at HKG.
ACI World said air cargo rebounded with close to 127 million metric tonnes handled in 2024—up 9.9% year-over-year and 4.1% over 2019.
The top 20 cargo hubs moved 52.2 million tonnes, up 9% from 2023 and 10.8% above pre-pandemic levels.
"Key drivers of growth included maritime route volatility, which led shippers to seek more reliable and faster alternatives via air; e-commerce acceleration, driven by consumer demand for faster fulfillment across borders; and falling jet fuel costs, which lowered operating expenses and improved air freight competitiveness," the report said.
It added that Dubai International (DXB) saw the biggest move in the ranking, jumping from 17th to 11th spot.
In terms of aircraft movement, ACI World noted that carriers topped 100.6 million globally in 2024— an increase of 3.9% year-over-year, reaching 96.8% of 2019 levels.
The top 20 airports saw 11.08 million movements, up 5.4% year-over-year.
Meanwhile, Shanghai Pudong (PVG) again showed strong momentum, rising 10 places to become the 8th busiest airport by movements.
"These rankings reflect the scale of global aviation and the resilience of the industry that continues to grow, despite the complex global environment. In these times of constant change and uncertainty, reliable data like this is necessary to help airports navigate through the increasing headwinds," said Justin Erbacci, director general at ACI World.
"Our mission is to empower airports with data and intelligence like this report– as well as with the tools, support, and advocacy they need to thrive in this dynamic environment," he added.
