China’s Guangzhou ousts Atlanta as top airport in pandemic year

China’s Baiyun International airport in Guangzhou topped the list of the world’s busiest hubs in a coronavirus-wracked 2020, knocking Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International off a perch it occupied for more than two decades. Baiyun moved up from 11th place, trade group Airports Council International said, capping a year when the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted global air travel. Hartsfield-Jackson slipped to second place, as hubs in six Chinese cities joined Beijing Capital International in the top 10 based on passenger traffic. Airports in Chengdu in central China and Shenzen, close to Hong Kong, were among those that penetrated the elite group. Shanghai’s Hongqiao International surged 37 spots to make the grade while the city’s better-known Pudong, where international flights typically land, dropped off. Guangzhou is the home base to China Southern, the country’s biggest carrier.<br/>