World’s busiest air routes revealed — Asia Pacific takes 9 of top 10 spots
Asia Pacific led global air travel in 2024, with the Jeju–Seoul route topping the charts at 13.2 million passengers, according to IATA. Nine of the ten busiest global routes were within the Asia Pacific region, with Jeddah–Riyadh being the only ex...
By ET Online |
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Asia Pacific dominated global air travel in 2024, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul (CJU–GMP) corridor ranked the world’s busiest route, carrying 13.2 million passengers last year, as per the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) World Air Transport Statistics (WATS) report.
Out of the top 10 busiest airport pairs worldwide, nine were within the Asia Pacific region. Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah–Riyadh (JED–RUH) was the only route outside Asia Pacific to make it to the global top 10.
IATA’s WATS report, based on data from over 240 airlines, provides detailed information on global air traffic trends, including passenger volumes, cargo capacity, aircraft utilisation, airline staffing, and financial performance.
Top 10 Busiest Airport Pairs Globally in 2024
(by total passenger traffic)
Jeju – Seoul (CJU–GMP), South Korea – 13.2 million passengers
Sapporo – Tokyo Haneda (CTS–HND), Japan
Fukuoka – Tokyo Haneda (FUK–HND), Japan
Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City (HAN–SGN), Vietnam
Shanghai Hongqiao – Beijing Capital (SHA–PEK), China
Jakarta – Denpasar Bali (CGK–DPS), Indonesia
Osaka – Tokyo Haneda (ITM–HND), Japan
Manila – Cebu (MNL–CEB), Philippines
Jeddah – Riyadh (JED–RUH), Saudi Arabia
Bangkok – Chiang Mai (BKK–CNX), Thailand
Note: Passenger volumes for ranks 2–10 were not disclosed in the WATS summary.
Regional Leaders in Air Traffic
Latin America: Bogotá–Medellín (BOG–MDE) topped with 3.8 million passengers
Africa: Cape Town–Johannesburg (CPT–JNB) led with 3.3 million flyers
North America: New York JFK–Los Angeles (JFK–LAX) was highest with 2.2 million passengers
Europe: Barcelona–Palma de Mallorca (BCN–PMI) carried 2 million passengers
The WATS report also includes data on cargo traffic, operating costs, airline profitability, and employee numbers. IATA noted that this annual statistical review helps stakeholders track changes in demand and capacity planning across global air routes.
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For Indian travellers and airlines, the dominance of intra-Asia Pacific routes signals sustained demand for regional connectivity, which may guide network planning and route development in the coming years.
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