Atlanta airport busiest in US for 3d straight year

With more than 41 million fliers a year, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport offers very few quiet spots. (Tami Chappell/Reuters/File 2007)

Email|Print| Text size – + By Associated Press / January 3, 2008

ATLANTA - For the third year in a row, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has retained its title as the nation's busiest in terms of flights, according to preliminary government data released yesterday.

more stories like this

• FAA: Atlanta airport is nation's busiest
• Fog at Detroit causes airline delays
• 2nd close call reported at FAA center
• High risk of runway collision plagues US
• High risk of runway collision in the US
• 

The Atlanta airport logged 994,466 flights in 2007, up 1.8 percent from 976,447 in 2006, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Flights include takeoffs and landings.

Chicago O'Hare International Airport, was second-busiest, with 935,000 flights in 2007, down 2.4 percent from 958,643 in 2006, the FAA said.

The FAA only released preliminary data for what typically are the three busiest US airports - Atlanta, O'Hare, and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, said spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen.

Atlanta and Chicago have run neck-and-neck in recent years to claim the title of the nation's - and therefore, the world's - busiest airport. Atlanta already claimed to be the world's busiest in terms of passengers, with 41.35 million passengers in 2006, the latest data available from the FAA. Chicago was second-busiest with 36.82 million passengers in 2006.

Atlanta airport officials said Hartsfield-Jackson's increased flights in 2007 came from growing demand for air travel in the metro Atlanta area and efforts to increase flights by Delta Air Lines Inc. and AirTran Airways, which both have large air travel hubs at Hartsfield-Jackson.

In recent years, O'Hare has faced limited flight capacity because of federally mandated flight restrictions. But a new north runway and runway extension expected to open in November - when the federal restrictions will be lifted - will add to the airport's ability to handle new flights, said spokesman Gregg Cunningham.

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport had 686,711 flights in 2007, down 2.3 percent from 702,722 flights in 2006, the FAA said.