Transportation
Airports by Country 2025
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- Totals shown include “the total number of airports or airfields recognizable from the air. The runway(s) may be paved or unpaved and may include closed or abandoned installations.”
- Totals for Palestine include the West Bank.
Air travel ranks in the top three modes of transport around the world, in terms of passenger-miles traveled, with approximately 100,000 flights taking off every day. Generally, the higher a country’s population is, the more airports and flights it has.
Below are the top seven countries with the most airports.
1. United States
The U.S. boasts just under 15,900 airports, with 5,211 public and 10,662 private airports across the country. As a nation of 340 million people, it has the most passenger flights in the world, with over 25,000 flights and 2.5 million air passengers each day. Texas leads the way with over 1,400 airports across the Lone Star State.
2. Brazil
Brazil ranks second at 4,919 airports, with approximately 590 public airports and the rest being private airfields. The country of 216 million people has around 850,000 to 900,000 flights each year, with the most traffic at São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport serving about 39.5 million passengers annually, as of 2023 numbers.
3. Australia
Australia has 2,180 registered airports, with one of the highest numbers of airports per capita. While many are small regional airstrips or private fields, over 200 are public-use aerodromes, supporting both commercial and general aviation across vast distances. The country handles over 700,000 aircraft movements annually, with Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) being the primary international gateway. In 2023, Sydney Airport handled approximately 38 million passengers, making it the busiest in the nation.
4. Mexico
There are 1,485 airports in Mexico, including around 100 public-use commercial airports, many with international service. With a population of 128 million, Mexican airports see hundreds of thousands of passengers each day, including about 750 flights to and from the US. Mexico City International Airport is the busiest, handling about 36 million passengers annually.
5. Canada
Canada’s airport count comes in at 1,425, including 26 major airports and hundreds of regional and local airports. The country has 38.7 million people and nearly just as many annual air passengers. Toronto Pearson International Airport has the most air traffic with 35.6 million passengers every year, followed by Vancouver International and Montreal-Trudeau International.
6. United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has 1,043 registered airports and airfields as of 2024, ranging from large international hubs to small private and military airstrips. Of these, around 40 airports offer regular commercial passenger service, while the rest serve general aviation, military, or private use. With a population of roughly 67 million, the UK handles more than 220 million air passengers annually. London Heathrow Airport is the country’s busiest, with over 79 million passengers in 2023, followed by Gatwick, Manchester, and Stansted.
7. Russia
There are 904 registered airports in Russia, a country with 144 million people and the world’s largest landmass. 227 airports see regular commercial travel, including the busiest Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow with about 25 million annual passengers.
According to the CIA, Germany, Argentina, France, and Colombia make up the rest of the top 10 airports by country, with at least 600 airports in each.
