Mapping Airways: The World's Flight Paths and Airports
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Mapping Airways: The World’s Flight Paths and Airports

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Map of the world's flight paths and busiest air routes

Mapping Airways: World’s Flight Paths and Airports

There are up to 8,755 commercial flights in the air at any given time of day. These flights transport thousands of people (and millions of dollars worth of goods) around the world.

But where are these people and goods headed? This map from Adam Symington uses historical data from OpenFlights to visualize the world’s flight paths.

The graphic shows a comprehensive data set encompassing 67,663 different routes that connect 10,000 different airports across the globe.

A Note On the Data

The map uses an OpenFlights database provided by the third-party source that hasn’t been updated since June 2014.

Because of this, the data used for the graphic is of historical value only. However, this detailed map sparked our curiosity and got us wondering—what are some of the busiest aviation hubs around the world right now?

We did some digging, and here’s what we found.

Busiest Airports by Passengers

There are several ways to gauge an airport’s popularity. One way is to measure total passenger traffic throughout the year.

According to Airports Council International (ACI), eight of the top 10 busiest airports for passenger traffic in 2021 were in America. Here’s a look at the top 10 list, as of April 11, 2022:

RankAirportCountryPassenger Traffic (2021)
1Atlanta GA (ATL)🇺🇸 US75,704,760
2Dallas/Fort Worth TX (DFW)🇺🇸 US62,465,756
3Denver CO (DEN)🇺🇸 US58,828,552
4Chicago IL (ORD)🇺🇸 US54,020,399
5Los Angeles CA (LAX)🇺🇸 US48,007,284
6Charlotte NC (CLT)🇺🇸 US43,302,230
7Orlando FL (MCO)🇺🇸 US40,351,068
8Guangzhou (CAN)🇨🇳​ China40,259,401
9Chengdu (CTU)🇨🇳​ China40,117,496
10Las Vegas NV (LAS)🇺🇸 US39,754,366

In 2021, the airport with the most passenger traffic was Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. It accommodated more than 75 million passengers last year—a 76.4% increase compared to 2020 figures.

Hartsfield-Jackson is well-known for being one of the busiest airports in the world. One reason for this is its convenient location—according to the airport’s official website, Atlanta is within a two-hour flight from 80% of the U.S. population.

Dallas/Forth Worth (DFW) came in second place, seeing 62.5 million passengers throughout 2021. DFW was one of the only airports to boost its service offerings throughout the pandemic, and is also the main hub for American Airlines, the world’s largest airline by fleet size.

Busiest Airports by Cargo

While the U.S. dominates the ranking when it comes to passenger traffic, the list is much more diverse when looking at air cargo volumes. Here’s a look at the ranking, based on loaded and unloaded freight and mail (including transit freight):

RankAirportCountryCargo Traffic (Metric Tonnes, 2021)
1Hong Kong SAR (HKG)🇭🇰​ Hong Kong5,025,495
2Memphis TN (MEM)🇺🇸 US4,480,465
3Shanghai (PVG)🇨🇳​ China3,982,616
4Anchorage AK (ANC)🇺🇸 US3,555,160
5Incheon (ICN)🇰🇷​ South Korea3,329,292
6Louisville KY (SDF)🇺🇸 US3,052,269
7Taipei (TPE)🇹🇼​ Taiwan2,812,065
8Los Angeles CA (LAX)🇺🇸 US2,691,830
9Tokyo (NRT)​🇯🇵​ Japan2,644,074
10Doha (DOH)🇶🇦​ Qatar2,620,095

Hong Kong (HKG) takes the top spot since the airport processed more than 5.0 million metric tonnes of freight and mail throughout 2021.

Hong Kong has been known as one of the busiest air cargo hubs for over a decade and is able to maintain this reputation because of its strategic location, impressive infrastructure, efficient customs, and business-friendly trade regulations.

The COVID-19 Impact on Aviation

The global pandemic hit the aviation industry hard. At its lowest point, international travel was down 98% from normal levels.

While the aviation industry is starting to recover from its COVID-induced slump, things still haven’t fully bounced back yet, especially in places like Shanghai, where lockdowns are still being mandated.

But experts remain hopeful for the future. According to ACI World’s General Director Luis Felipe de Oliveira, last year’s recovery was just the beginning.

“With many countries taking steps towards the return of a certain normality, lifting almost all the health measures and travel restrictions as supported by science, we welcome the continuation of air travel demand’s recovery in 2022.”
-Luis Felipe de Oliveira, ACI World’s Director General

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This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.

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Maps

Visualized: Population vs. GDP by Global Region

Which regions of the world hold the most economic power? And how does population play a role? We take a look at population vs. GDP in 2025.

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This graphic compares five regions of the world and their population vs. economic power (or GDP) as of 2025.

Visualized: Population vs. Economic Power by Global Region

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Key Takeaways

  • Northern America and Europe hold the most economic power especially for their population size.
  • Together they account for more than half of global GDP with only 15% of the population.
  • Africa is a significant underperformer for its population size.

In an increasingly tumultuous global economic landscape—where trade wars roil markets, industries, and jobs—where exactly does economic power lie?

And how much is it relative to a region’s population?

This graphic compares five major world regions by their share of global population vs. GDP. These 2025 projections for population and economic output come from the UN and International Monetary Fund (last updated October 2024).

ℹ️ Each region’s GDP is shown in nominal U.S. dollars, which can be affected by exchange rates and local prices. Adjusting for purchasing power parity would result in a very different visualization. However, using USD reflects relative global economic power, as it remains the world’s reserve currency and drives trade and investment, both crucial for growth.

Comparing Each Continent’s Population vs. GDP

Northern America and Europe are powerhouses of the world economy for their population size.

Together they account for more than half of global GDP with only 15% of the population.

Population 2025Share of World
Population
GDP 2025Share of
World GDP
Africa1.5B19%$2.8T2%
Asia-Pacific*3.5B42%$25.4T22%
China1.4B17%$19.5T17%
Latin America &
Caribbean
668M8%$6.9T6%
Europe744M9%$28.2T24%
U.S. & Canada388M5%$32.7T28%
World8.2B100%$115.4T100%

*Excludes China; includes the Caucasus, Middle East, Türkiye, and Oceania. Figures may not sum exactly due to rounding.

Every other region underperforms its population weight. Latin America’s only slightly off: 8% of the global population, with 6% of the GDP.

On the other hand, Asia has 60% of the world’s population but contributes only 40% of the GDP.

Within that region, China itself is carrying its fair share: 17% population vs 17% of world GDP.

Finally there’s Africa, the world’s youngest continent by median age and where many of the world’s future humans will be born.

The Africa Story

The second-most populous continent only contributes 2% to the global economy. For context, the region’s entire economic output equals that of France (roughly $3T).

For decades economists have been bullish on Africa, citing how with the right investment and public health measures, the region’s young and growing populace could push consumer demand and increase economic activity.

However one-third of the 1.5 billion population still lives in poverty. Per capita GDP has only increased to $2,000 from $1,000 in the past 45 years.

Research has identified many historical shocks to the economy, including the slave trade and colonization, as well as the lack of institution building, to explain part of the region’s struggles.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

Want a quick look at the entire world economy? We have you covered. Check out: The $115 Trillion World Economy in One Chart.

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