Which are the busiest cargo airports in the world?

Airports Council International (ACI) has published its list of the world’s busiest airports, which covers passenger figures, aircraft movements, and cargo handled.

The report gives an interesting overview of the world’s busiest airports, as well as how airports have recovered since the downturn associated with the Covid 19 pandemic.

Cargo was one of the big winners of the pandemic, thanks to the increased need to shift large volumes of freight as essential equipment was needed, and as consumers turned evermore to online retail.

Interestingly, however, 18 of the top 20 airports in the list handled less cargo than in the previous year.

The Busiest Cargo Airports in the World

The 2022 figures lists the following airports as the top 10 busiest cargo airports in the world:

1 Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok

Cathay Pacific Cargo at Hong Kong. Photo (c) Erik Ritterbach

Retaining the top spot, Hong Kong is a mega hub for freighters from across the globe.

4,198,937 tonnes.

2 Memphis, TN

Also retaining 2nd position, this airport is the main base of FedEx Express and its worldwide network.

4,042,769 tonnes.

3 Anchorage Ted Stevens International, AK

Photo (c) Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport

Rising one spot, Anchorage gained a lot of ground as a result of the pandemic, and was briefly the world’s busiest airport.

3,462,874 tonnes.

4 Shanghai Pudong

Dropping a place, China’s busiest mainland cargo hub is still at Shanghai.

3,117,216 tonnes.

5 Louisville, KY

Rising a position, Louisville is home to UPS.

3,067,234 tonnes.

6 Seoul Incheon

Dropping a place, Seoul’s main airport is served by many cargo airlines.

2,945,855 tonnes.

7 Taipei Taoyuan

Retaining 7th place is Taipei’s main airport. The island nation is an important meeting point of airborne and seaborne freight.

2,538,768 tonnes.

8 Miami International, FL

Rising into the top 10 from 12th place is Miami, which has always been a strong cargo hub with important links to the Caribbean and South America.

2,499,837 tonnes.

9 Los Angeles International, CA

Photo (c) Erik Ritterbach

Dropping slightly, LAX is still a FedEx hub and handles a lot of belly freight on airliners.

2,489,854 tonnes.

10 Tokyo Narita

Also dropping a place, Narita is the busiest of Japan’s airports for freight.

2,399,298 tonnes.