Is Atlanta about to lose its long-held title as the busiest airport in the United States? Chicago officials certainly think so, as new data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) suggests that O’Hare may now lead in terms of total aircraft movements.
According to figures released by the FAA in January 2026, 857,392 aircraft took off or landed at Chicago O’Hare in 2025, compared to 807,625 at Atlanta’s Hartsfield – Jackson. The figures for 2026 show a similar pattern with 437,191 scheduled flights for Chicago against 389,663 for Atlanta – a strong recovery, for O’Hare, with aircraft operations rising by around 13% compared to 2025.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson celebrated the figures as “more than a statistic,” describing them as a “statement about Chicago’s momentum.”
“From the runways of O’Hare… we are open for business, open to the world, and once again setting the pace for the nation.”
The dispute, however, lies less in the numbers themselves than in how the title of “busiest airport” should be defined. Chicago highlights aircraft movements, while Atlanta insists that the ranking should be based on passenger traffic, the metric traditionally used worldwide.
By that measure, Atlanta remains firmly in first place. Industry data show the airport offering around 63.1 million scheduled departing seats in 2025, compared with roughly 50.6 million at Chicago O’Hare. More recent figures from the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics also show Atlanta in the lead, with approximately 89.5 million passengers recorded in 2025 compared to 66.8 million at Chicago O’Hare.
“Hartsfield-Jackson remains the world’s busiest airport by total passenger traffic, the global standard used to measure ‘busiest,” said General Manager Ricky Smith. He added that rankings based on aircraft operations can vary depending on the size of the aircraft and how frequently they fly. He added that, while he had a lot of respect for his competitors, Atlanta remained in the lead.
Nighttime ops from the ATC tower. How many planes can you count? 😅 pic.twitter.com/hHN2qVPTbm
— O'Hare Intl. Airport (@fly2ohare) January 13, 2026
The difference between the scheduled flight statistics and the seat capacity comes from the type of aircraft used for the routes. A major factor in Chicago’s rise has been the increase in air taxi operations. FAA data shows that there were 79,234 air taxi flights in Chicago in 2025, compared to 25,475 in Atlanta. O’Hare also operates far more regional jets, whereas Atlanta relies more heavily on mainline aircraft, which carry significantly more passengers per flight.
As a major connection hub for both American Airlines and United Airlines’ regional networks, nearly half (49%) of O’Hare’s flights scheduled for the first half of 2026 are expected to be operated by regional jets.
By contrast, Atlanta’s traffic relies far more heavily on larger jets. In practice, this means that approximately 106,900 of the roughly 218,700 flights scheduled at O’Hare in the first half of 2026 will be operated by regional jets, whereas Atlanta’s approximately 194,900 scheduled flights will generate far greater capacity, with mainline narrow-body aircraft alone accounting for around 26.5 million seats.
Chicago’s recent growth has largely been driven by expansion from American and United, which together are operating over 22% more flights from O’Hare than in the same period last year.
However, both hubs face growing pressure from international competitors such as Dubai and the planned Bishoftu International Airport in Ethiopia. The $12.5 billion Bishoftu International Airport project broke ground in January 2026 and is expected to become the world’s busiest airport, with a projected capacity of 110 million passengers per year.
