Miami International Airport became the busiest U.S. gateway for international passengers while retaining its position as the busiest for international freight in 2021, according to preliminary 2021 airport rankings published in April by Airports Council International (ACI).
MIA welcomed more than 13 million international passengers in 2021, moving it from 2nd place in 2020 to the top ranking in the U.S. and 11th place in the world. MIA remained the busiest airport in the U.S. and the ninth busiest in the world for international tonnage handled, at more than two million metric tons.
With a total of 387,973 takeoffs and landings by passenger and cargo aircraft in 2021, MIA is also now home to the ninth-busiest airfield in the world with a 54% increase over 2020 – the largest increase among the 10 busiest airports worldwide. MIA’s ninth-place finish is its highest global ranking in aircraft operations in decades, and a giant leap from 24th in 2020 and 30th in 2019.
MIA finished 2021 with a total of 37.2 million passengers, which was twice its total of 18.6 million in 2020. The global gateway also handled 2.7 million tons of freight in 2021, shattering its previous record of 2.3 million tons in 2020 by 17%, for its second consecutive year of growth.
