Airport industry group Airports Council International confirmed Friday that Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, for the 18th consecutive year, was named the busiest airport in the world in 2015. Nearly 101.5 million passengers made their way through Atlanta’s airport in 2015, the first time an airport served more than 100 million passengers in a single year. ATL also had more aircraft operations than any other airport in 2015, as 882,497 aircraft movements were documented by ACI.

The news was first announced by Mayor Kasim Reed during his annual State of the City address in February. ACI confirmed the figures in the release of its 2015 ACI World Airport Traffic Report Sept. 9.  Authors of the report compile comprehensive data from more than 2,300 airports in 160 countries.

“The busiest airport in the world continues to serve as the chief economic engine for the City of Atlanta and the State of Georgia,” Mayor Reed said. “Maintaining seamless efficiency and steady growth at Hartsfield-Jackson speaks to the talent of our employees and the strong collaboration with our Airport partners.”

“We are proud to be named the world’s busiest airport for the 18th consecutive year,” interim Airport General Manager Roosevelt Council Jr. said. “As we prepare for our future growth, we are making the necessary investments to ensure our continued progress and efficiency at Hartsfield-Jackson for many years to come.”

ACI analysts point to ATL’s strategic location as a major connecting hub and port of entry into North America as reasons for the Airport’s success. The report specifically highlights the fact that ATL is a two-hour flight to 80 percent of the U.S. population.  

ATL leaders expect to exceed the 101,491,106 total from 2015. Preliminary figures show ATL may host as many as 105 million passengers by the end of 2016.