Atlanta airport still busiest, but Beijing gaining

ATLANTA - A new report on airport traffic shows that Atlanta's airport remains the world's busiest, but Beijing's airport is gaining ground.

Figures from Airports Council International show that Atlanta's airport handled 92.4 million passengers in 2011. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Beijing Capital International Airport saw a 4.7 percent increase to 77.4 million passengers, slightly narrowing Atlanta's lead. London Heathrow came in at No. 3, with 69.4 million passengers, followed by Chicago O'Hare with 66.6 million passengers. Separately, the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics earlier reported that Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines carried more passengers worldwide than any other U.S. airline in 2011. Southwest Airlines came in No. 1 in domestic passengers for the eighth consecutive year.