O'Hare second busiest airport in 2007

ATLANTA -- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport retained its title as the nation's busiest airport in terms of flights for the third year in a row, according to preliminary government data released Wednesday.

The Atlanta airport logged 994,466 flights in 2007 -- up 1.8 percent from 976,447 flights in 2006 -- the Federal Aviation Administration said, noting in a news release that the numbers "are very preliminary and subject to change." Flights include takeoffs and landings.

Chicago's O'Hare International Airport was listed second-busiest, with 926,973 flights in 2007. That number was down 3.3 percent from the 958,643 flights it had in 2006, the FAA said.

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport was ranked third, with 686,711 flights in 2007, down 2.3 percent from its 702,722 flights in 2006, the FAA said.

Atlanta and Chicago have run neck-and-neck in recent years to claim the title of the nation's -- and therefore, the world's -- busiest airport. Atlanta already had claimed to be the world's busiest airport in terms of passengers. The FAA does not maintain passenger statistics.