Air travel causes a lot of stress. Hectic airports, cramped flights, and long travel days can leave you feeling exhausted before you even reach your destination. Unfortunately, airports also spread a lot of germs — no matter how many times you remember to wash your hands.
An MIT study ranked airports in the United States based on how likely they are to prompt the spread of an infectious epidemic. Researchers based these rankings on traffic, geographic location, average layover times, and connections with other airports.
15. Boston Logan International Airport
Boston, Massachusetts is home to the Boston Logan International Airport. Over 2 million passengers flew into or out of this airport in January 2016; in December 2016, airlines transported nearly 3 million passengers through BOS.
14. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Traffic through this Seattle, Washington-based airport continues to increase from year to year. Just over 42 million passengers traveled through this airport in the year 2015. It was the ninth-busiest airport as of 2016.
13. George Bush Intercontinental Airport
The George Bush Intercontinental Airport, part of the Houston Airport System, ranked No. 14 among the busiest airports in 2016. Nearly 42 million passengers traveled through the Houston, Texas-based airport that same year.
12. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Like most international airports across the U.S., this location transports millions of people every year. Over 43 million passengers traveled through the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in 2016. This Phoenix, Arizona-based airport was the No. 12 busiest airport that year.
11. Detroit Metropolitan Airport
More Midwesterners are traveling to and from “The Mitten.” The Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport transported just over 34 million passengers throughout 2016. The Detroit, Michigan-based airport was the No. 18 busiest airport that year
10. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
This airport has also grown in terms of passenger traffic over the past several years. As a result, nearly 66 million passengers traveled through the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in 2016, making it the fourth busiest U.S. airport that year.
9. Miami International Airport
This Miami, Florida-based airport also made the list of top 10 busiest U.S. airports in 2016. Nearly 45 million travelers passed through its terminals that year, earning it the No. 10 spot in terms of passenger traffic volume.
8. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
The busier the airport, the more likely you are to get sick. Over 100 million passengers traveled through the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in 2016, making it the busiest airport that year. It’s held that top spot for 20 years.
7. Washington Dulles International Airport
This Virginia-based airport was the No. 26 busiest airport in terms of passenger-specific traffic in 2016. That year, approximately 22 million people landed or took off from here. It’s located less than 30 miles from Washington, D.C.
6. O’Hare International Airport
This Chicago, Illinois-based airport — one of two in the metropolitan area — was the third busiest airport in the U.S. in 2016. That year, about 78 million passengers traveled through the airport, a 1.3 percent increase from the previous year.
5. Newark Liberty International Airport
About 40 million passengers traveled through Newark Liberty International Airport in 2016, making it the No. 15 busiest U.S. airport that year. This is the airport that primarily serves the state of New Jersey in terms of air travel.
4. San Francisco International Airport
Among the top 10 heaviest-traveled airports in the U.S., this San Francisco, California-based airport was the seventh-busiest airport as of 2016. Over 53 million passengers traveled through this airport in the same year.
3. Daniel K Inouye International Airport
Formerly known as the Honolulu International Airport, the Daniel K Inouye International Airport was the No. 28 busiest airport in 2016. About 19 million travelers passed through the Honolulu, Hawaii-based airport that same year.
2. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
This Los Angeles, California-based airport transported just over 80 million passengers in 2016. That same year, it was ranked No. 2 among the busiest airports in the U.S., right behind the Atlanta International Airport.
1. John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
This New York City airport includes nine separate terminals, with over 150 gates divided between them. Over 59 million passengers passed through JFK in 2016. People travel all over the world from these gates, encouraging the potential spread of global infection and disease.
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