U.S. International Air Traffic Trends

Are We More Connected to the Rest of the World Than Ever?
Select an icon on the map above and use the slider to compare scheduled international services for this century!

Notice Anything Interesting?
Rates of international travel from U.S. gateway airports have steadily increased over the last 25 years. Despite a significant decrease in travel in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, scheduled international services for 2024 show a complete rebound in international travel, and then some. Consider the following:

• How do rates in 2020 compare to 2000? Is the difference as high as you would expect?
• What trends do you notice in the geographic distribution of the top U.S. Gateways to the World?
• Are these the top 15 airports you would have guessed? What airport are you surprised to see on the map?
• Where do you expect the top 15 foreign gateway destinations are? If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
• What factors might influence our growing propensity for international air travel?
• What consequences might this growth have locally? Globally? Environmentally?
• What else would you like to know? What additional context would make this information more meaningful?

For More Information:
Visit the U.S. Department of Transportation's Webpage on international air statistics.
Data for the current 15 highest-traffic U.S. passenger gateways to the world were compiled from Table 6 of the December U.S. International Air Passenger and Freight Statistics Reports from the years 2000 - 2024. Scheduled services include nonstop commercial traffic between the U.S. and international airports.