The busiest flight routes and airports of 2024 reveal a year of record-breaking air travel and changing global dynamics.
Leading the pack, the Hong Kong-Taipei route retained its title as the busiest international airline route, with approximately 6.8 million passengers flying between these two cities.
On August 2, 2024, air travel reached its peak, with a staggering 19,278,320 airline seats available worldwide, surpassing the year’s average daily capacity by 18%. In contrast, November 28, coinciding with Thanksgiving in the United States, recorded the lowest capacity, with 14,871,278 tickets sold.
The Top 10 Busiest Routes
According to the Official Airline Guide (OAG), the top 10 international flight routes were dominated by Asia. Following Hong Kong-Taipei were:
1. Cairo-Jeddah: Approximately 5.5 million passengers.
2. Seoul Incheon-Tokyo Narita: 5.4 million tickets sold, with a 30% capacity increase.
3. Kuala Lumpur-Singapore Changi: 5.4 million passengers.
4. Seoul Incheon-Osaka Kansai: 4.9 million passengers.
5. Dubai-Riyadh: 4.3 million passengers.
6. Bangkok-Hong Kong: 4.2 million passengers.
7. Jakarta-Singapore Changi: 4.07 million passengers.
8. Bangkok-Singapore Changi: 4.03 million passengers.
9. New York JFK-London Heathrow: Around 4 million tickets sold.
Busiest Airports in 2024
Dubai International Airport retained its position as the world’s busiest airport in 2024, with 5,298,111 seats offered. Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport followed with 4,857,482 seats, while Tokyo Haneda International Airport secured third place with 4,691,504 seats. Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport completed the top five, with 4,343,863 and 4,243,308 seats, respectively.
Among international airports, Dubai International continued its dominance, offering the most international seats at 5,298,111. London Heathrow Airport ranked second with 3,939,865 seats, followed by Seoul Incheon International Airport with 3,794,848 seats. Singapore Changi Airport and Hong Kong International Airport rounded out the top five, handling 3,744,499 and 3,289,237 seats, respectively.
In Europe, London Heathrow topped the list with 4,233,387 seats, closely followed by Istanbul Airport at 4,020,273. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Amsterdam Airport, and Madrid Adolfo Suárez-Barajas Airport completed the top five European hubs, reflecting their pivotal roles in connecting the continent to global destinations.
These rankings underscore the significance of established hubs in facilitating international travel and point to a strong recovery in global aviation.
