Passenger traffic at Chicago Airport 2000-2021
Passenger traffic versus enplanements
Passenger traffic refers to any passenger who boards or exits an aircraft at the airport. This differs from the other common measure of passenger numbers used in the aviation industry, enplanements, which only includes passengers who board an aircraft. Enplanements are commonly used as a passenger measurement because most of the airport revenue is generated directly or indirectly from enplaned passengers. As to be expected, the number of enplanements is generally around half the total passenger traffic.
Busiest airports in the United States
While Atlanta’s Hartfield-Jackson Airport may be busier regarding the total number of enplanements, O’Hare is connected to more destinations. O’Hare also handles considerably more cargo than Hartfield-Jackson, with the seventh-highest annual tonnage of all U.S. airports. Perhaps as a result of this, O’Hare does not appear among the most punctual airports.