Summary While Istanbul Airport (IST) had the most diverse network of destinations, four US airports made the list. This includes Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL), and Denver International Airport (DEN). Other airports were in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
The aviation analytics company Cirium has issued its latest report on the most connected airports , outlining the top 20 airports in terms of destinations served. The list included four United States airports, which had more than 200 direct flights to various destinations domestically and internationally. Istanbul Airport (IST) leading the way Istanbul Airport (IST) was the best-connected airport in H1 2024, with the airport serving 309 destinations across the world.
That was largely due to Turkish Airlines developing a very elaborate hub strategy, with the carrier leveraging IST's geographical position to cater to travelers flying between multiple continents. Cirium data showed that in August, out of the 4,918 total departures out of the airport, Turkish Airlines was responsible for 3,825 weekly flights, or 77.7%.
The second airport was Germany’s main gateway, Frankfurt Airport (FRA). One of the major hubs of Lufthansa – the group and the airline – had 296 unique destinations during the first half of the year. In comparison, Munich Airport (MUC), which was ranked 15th, had 217 destinations on its departures board during the first six months of 2024.
The first US airport to appear on the list was Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), which had 270 destinations. ORD tied for fifth place with Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS), boasting 270 destinations in H1. Top 5 most connected airports Destinations in H1 Istanbul Airport (IST) 309 Frankfurt Airport (FRA) 296 Paris Charles De Gaulle International Airport (CDG) 282 Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS, tied for fifth) 270 Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD, tied for fifth) 270 By 2033, Turkish Airlines aims to carry 170 million annual passengers with a fleet of over 800 aircraft.
Following the top five, the list included Dubai International Airport (DXB, 269 destinations) and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), which had 261 destinations during the period. Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) led Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL), which has been the busiest airport in the world for decades, with 243 and 237 destinations, respectively. Subsequently, Rome Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport (FCO) and Denver International Airport (DEN) rounded off the top ten – 11, if not for the tie for fifth place – with DEN having 229 unique destinations during the period.
All five busiest routes out of Atlanta are domestic. Chinese and European airports rounding off the list Following DEN, which was the last US airport on the list, London Heathrow Airport (LHR) was placed 12th with 221 destinations, with Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) just behind the main airport of London with 219. One short of JED was Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD), tied at 218 with London Gatwick Airport (LGW).
After the aforementioned MUC, another Spanish airport, Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN), dropped below the 210s, with 209 destinations, followed by Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) with 206. The last two airports on the list, Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU) and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN), were also tied with 202 destinations. China-based airlines have rapidly outpaced the growth of their Western counterparts on US and Europe-bound markets from their home country.
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