In this article we will review which are the countries with the most airports in the world, and finally which are the most important in Spain.
1. United States
With a total of 13,513 airports, the United States has the most airports in the world. Not surprisingly, it has 300 million inhabitants and is the third most visited country in the world.
The most important ones are Hartsfield Jackson International Airport (Atlanta), with more than 100 million passengers a year it is the busiest airport in the world.
Then there is the Los Angeles International Airport, O’Hare International Airport (Chicago), Dallas International Airport and, of course, the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
2. Brazil
Brazil, with more than 200 million inhabitants, has 4,093 airports.
The most important of these is the Brasilia International Airport, with a terminal capable of handling more than 9 million passengers per year, it is one of the most modern airports in Brazil.
It is followed by the airports of São Paulo: Guarulhos International Airport, Congonhas Airport and Viracopos-Campinas International Airport.
3. Mexico
In its territory of 125 million inhabitants, it has 1,714 airports.
Its main airport is the Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, located in the east of the Mexican capital, is considered the largest airport, receives more than 40 million passengers a year.
Next, we have Cancun International Airport, Guadalajara International Airport “Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla” and Monterrey International Airport “Mariano Escobedo”.
4. Canada
Of the 1,467 airports it has, the most important are in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.
The Toronto International Airport has more than 45 million passengers annually. It ranks 33rd in the list of the world’s busiest airports by total passenger traffic.
It is followed in relevance by Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (Montreal) and Vancouver International Airport.
5. Russia
The first non-American country to have the largest number of airports is Russia, with 1,218 airport facilities.
The two most prominent ones are located in the capital: Moscow-Sheremetyevo International Airport and Moscow-Domodevo Airport.
Together with them, Pulkovo Airport (St. Petersburg) is one of the busiest airports in the country.
6. Argentina
Argentina is in sixth position with 1,138 airports.
The most important airport in the country, as far as international flights are concerned, is Ministro Pistarini International Airport, also called Ezeiza International Airport, located only 25 kilometers from Buenos Aires. It was inaugurated in 1949 and its annual traffic is around 10 million people.
It is surpassed by Aeroparque Metropolitano Jorge Newbery, in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area, with a traffic of about 14 million, followed by Ástor Piazzolla International Airport.
7. Bolivia
With less than 1,000 airports – 855 – Bolivia is located. Among them, the International Airport Viru Viru, located 17 kilometers from the center of the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, considered the main airport for passenger traffic in Bolivia.
Also in Bolivia we found the International Airport La Paz, and the International Airport Jorge Wilsterman in Cochabamba.
Bolivia is followed by Colombia (836), Paraguay (799), Indonesia (673), South Africa (566) and Papua New Guinea (561) and Germany (539).
In Spain
Most Spanish provincial capitals have an airport, although 75 % of air traffic is concentrated in the 7 main airports in Spain.
1. Adolfo Suárez-Madrid
It is the Spanish international airport with the most passenger traffic due to its status as a transoceanic hub for routes to Latin America, as well as linking regular routes to all continents.
2. Barcelona-El Prat
It is the second airport in number of passengers due to the economic and tourist importance of the city of Barcelona, concentrating, sometimes, more direct destinations than Madrid. Barcelona is also the main base for Vueling, one of the largest low cost airlines in Europe.
3. Palma de Mallorca
First class tourist centre with a strong summer season, which makes it the busiest airport in Spain during the holiday months.
4. Malaga-Costa del Sol
It benefits from the tourist influx of the entire coast of the province. Besides being the second largest urban agglomeration in Andalusia.
5. Alicante-elche
The airport of Alicante-Elche is, together with Valencia-Manises, the main airport facility in the Community of Valencia, and a popular tourist destination.
If you want to know which are the busiest airports in the world by number of passengers per year, you can read this article.