Executive Travel : Chicago Still Busiest Passenger Air Hub, Memphis Tops for Cargo

O’Hare International Airport in Chicago consolidated its position as the world’s busiest passenger airport while Memphis, Tenn., the hub of cargo giant Federal Express, remained the leader in cargo traffic, according to a half-year report by the Geneva-based Airports Council International.

O’Hare, the main North American air passenger hub, reinforced its position as the world’s busiest airport with 32.4 million people using it in the first six months of the year. It was followed in order by Atlanta, Dallas-Forth Worth and Los Angeles International.

London’s Heathrow was ranked fifth, followed by Tokyo’s domestic airport, Hanada, and Frankfurt, Germany. The industry group said the world’s airports saw a steady 6% rise in passenger traffic in the first half of 1995 with Europe and Pacific Rim countries leading the way.

It also said cargo movement through the 408 airports surveyed showed even stronger growth--a 10% increase in the first six months of last year.