Anchorage International Airport Ranks Top in US for Cargo, 3rd Globally
Photo Credit: Gudellaphoto | Adobe Stock
With a 40 percent increase in tonnes of cargo and mail loaded, unloaded, or transiting since 2019, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) is now ranked as the busiest cargo airport in the United States. Handling or transiting nearly 3.9 million tonnes in 2025, ANC is also the third busiest airport for cargo in the world, not far behind second-ranked Shanghai Pudong Airport, which handled just over 4 million tonnes of freight and mail. The top spot is also in China, with more than 5 million tonnes passing through Hong Kong Airport.
Airports Council International (ACI), the trade association of the world’s airports, released the rankings April 14.
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As a key cargo hub connecting Asia and North America, ANC has held a top-ten ranking for several years. In 2019 it was ranked sixth in the world and third in the US, moving up to fourth globally and second domestically in 2024.
“ANC continues to prove that Alaska is at the center of global commerce,” says Angie Spear, director of the Alaska International Airport System. “Being ranked among the world’s busiest cargo airports reflects the strength of our tenants, airline partners, workforce, and the strategic advantages only Anchorage can offer.”
ACI notes that air cargo volumes increased by nearly 3 percent, year over year, with nearly 128.9 million tonnes of freight and mail loaded and unloaded around the world. The organization says the increase in global air cargo traffic is driven by a strong e-commerce demand and resulting supply chain adjustments. The top ten airports handled more than 25 percent of global air cargo traffic.
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Anchorage’s ranking came with a caveat; it’s the only airport in the top ten whose cargo count included transit freight—that is, items passing through the airport but not leaving the grounds. ANC’s unique location allows aircraft to reach nearly 90 percent of the industrialized world within a single 9.5-hour flight, making it one of the most efficient cargo transfer points on the globe.
“Anchorage’s rise to the nation’s top cargo airport highlights Alaska’s critical role in global supply chains,” says Ryan Anderson, Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities commissioner. “By continuing to invest in our aviation infrastructure and partnerships, we’re strengthening a system that drives economic opportunity across the state.” That continued investment includes additional hardstand development, airfield modernization, cargo apron enhancements, utility and pavement improvements, and long-term cargo expansion planning.
For passenger traffic, Hartsfield-Jackson Airport (ATL) in Atlanta, Georgia, remains the undisputed leader. The hub for Delta Airlines saw more than 106 million passengers in 2025, 11 million more than the world’s second-busiest passenger airport, DXB in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Yet ATL is not as busy as it once was; the airport lost 1.6 percent of its passenger count between 2024 and 2025, and it is 3.8 percent slower than it was in 2019.
Other Ranked Airports
Airports Council International recently released its rankings of the world’s busiest airports, highlighting those that have the most total passengers, international passengers, cargo, and aircraft movements.
Photo Credit: Airports Council International
Globally, passenger count is climbing, however. Total global passengers in 2025 are estimated at 9.8 billion, an increase of 3.6 percent over 2024 and a gain of 7.3 percent over 2019 results. Four of the top ten busiest airports in the passenger category are in the US.
International passenger traffic is also climbing, with an estimated 4 billion travelers in 2025, representing a gain of nearly 6 percent over 2024 and an increase of 8.3 percent since 2019. DXB remains in the top spot, with 95 million international passengers enplaning and deplaning, followed by London’s Heathrow Airport, which served nearly 80 million international passengers.
Apparently, more people are traveling in fewer aircraft. Global aircraft movements—that is, the number of takeoffs and landings—were estimated to be about 101.5 million in 2025, representing a gain of about 2.3 percent over 2024, and a gain of only 0.2 percent over 2019. The US moves more planes than any other country; seven of the top ten busiest airports for total aircraft movements are in the US, with Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) topping the list with more than 860,000 takeoffs and landings, an increase of nearly 11 percent over 2024 but a loss of 6.5 percent from 2019. Following ORD was ATL, with nearly 808,000 aircraft movements, a gain of 1.7 over 2024 but an overall loss of 10.7 percent over 2019.
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