INTERNATIONAL. OAG, the global travel industry data platform, has revealed London Heathrow Airport retains its position as the number one internationally connected airport.
The OAG Megahubs 2024 rankings are extracted from the range of destinations and the number of potential connecting opportunities from international airports on the busiest day of the year for global aviation (2 August 2024).
This year’s table reflects a strong post-COVID recovery of Asia Pacific traffic, with Heathrow followed by Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo Haneda airports, which moved up to second and third in the rankings respectively.
The region’s other entry in the top ten is from South Korea’s Incheon International Airport (5th), while the highest position occupied by a Chinese airport is Shanghai Pudong (17th).
The USA has two places in the OAG top ten rankings, held by John F. Kennedy (6th) and Chicago O’Hare (9th) airports. The world’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, lies in 11th position.
The rest of the top ten positions are occupied by major European hubs, including Amsterdam Schiphol (4th), Paris Charles de Gaulle (7th), Istanbul (8th, and the airport offering the most international destinations) and Frankfurt (10th).
The Middle East’s number one airport is Dubai (16th) and Latin America’s most internationally connected airport is Bogota’s El Dorado (20th).
Considering the top 20, OAG noted a slight shift towards Asia Pacific in this year’s rankings, with eight of its airports represented. The EMEA and North America regions have six and five representatives in the top 20 respectively.
OAG also published a list of the top 25 low-cost carrier airports, with Asia Pacific airports occupying 16 of those places, topped by Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Incheon in the leading three positions.
Also revealed were the top 25 US airports for domestic connectivity, with the rankings led by Chicago O’Hare, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta and Dallas Fort Worth.
OAG Chief Analyst John Grant said: “Connectivity continues to rebuild as airlines and airports across markets respond to high travel demand. Despite ongoing geopolitical events, each new route creates new connectivity opportunities, showcasing aviation’s importance to the global economy.” ✈
