A report from aviation data provider OAG reveals that seven of the world’s busiest international routes this year connect destinations within the Asia-Pacific region, marking a significant recovery in travel demand across Asia. Two additional routes link cities in the Middle East, while a single transatlantic route completes the list.
The rankings, based on the total volume of scheduled airline seats from January to December 2024, highlight the dominance of leisure travel over corporate trips. OAG’s analysis considered round-trip flights rather than one-way itineraries.
“With the Asia-Pacific region very close to a full recovery, the busiest routes are concentrated in the familiar major hubs of Hong Kong, Seoul Incheon, and Singapore,” said John Grant, chief analyst at OAG.
The Hong Kong to Taipei route (HKG-TPE) reclaimed its position as the busiest international flight route, a title it last held in 2019. This single two-hour route accounted for 6.8 million available seats. In second place is the Cairo to Jeddah (CAI-JED) route, which has seen a 62% surge compared to 2019 levels. The third spot was claimed by Seoul to Tokyo Narita (ICN-NRT), with 5.4 million seats, representing a 69% increase over pre-pandemic figures.
The Middle East also saw notable growth. Dubai to Riyadh (DXB-RUH) was the sixth-busiest route, while the Cairo to Jeddah link highlights the strong leisure travel demand in the region, driven partly by Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative.
The only transatlantic route to feature among the top 10 busiest flight paths was New York JFK to London Heathrow (JFK-LHR), ranking tenth with 4 million seats—a modest 5% increase over 2019 levels.
Top 10 World’s Busiest International Routes of 2024:
- HKG (Hong Kong) – TPE (Taipei): 6.8 million seats
- CAI (Cairo) – JED (Jeddah): 5.47 million seats
- ICN (Seoul) – NRT (Tokyo Narita): 5.4 million seats
- KUL (Kuala Lumpur) – SIN (Singapore): 5.38 million seats
- ICN (Seoul) – KIX (Osaka): 4.98 million seats
- DXB (Dubai) – RUH (Riyadh): 4.3 million seats
- BKK (Bangkok) – HKG (Hong Kong): 4.2 million seats
- CGK (Jakarta) – SIN (Singapore): 4.07 million seats
- BKK (Bangkok) – SIN (Singapore): 4.03 million seats
- JFK (New York) – LHR (London Heathrow): 4.01 million seats
The report underscores Asia’s critical role in driving global air traffic recovery and highlights key hubs like Singapore, Hong Kong, and Seoul as the focal points of renewed travel demand.
