Istanbul Airport Tops the Charts: World's Best-Connected Hub
Istanbul Airport, a relative newcomer, has taken the crown as the world's best-connected airport, boasting an impressive 309 direct flights to destinations across the globe. This achievement, based on data from aviation analytics firm Cirium, highlights the strategic location of Istanbul Airport, sitting at the crossroads of Europe and Asia.
Opened in 2018, Istanbul Airport quickly established itself as a global hub, handling a staggering 90 million passengers annually, making it the seventh busiest airport worldwide. With a capacity to accommodate 200 million passengers per year, it is well-positioned to capitalize on the resurgence of air travel, which has surpassed pre-pandemic levels in the first half of 2024.
"Our strategic location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia allows us to serve as a vital hub for international travel," remarked Selahattin Bilgen, the airport's CEO, in a statement to CNN. He also attributed the airport's success to its resilience, having recovered faster than any other airport after the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching pre-pandemic passenger figures sooner than its global counterparts.
Following Istanbul Airport in the top ten most connected airports are three European hubs: Frankfurt at number two, Paris Charles de Gaulle at number three, and Amsterdam Schiphol at number four. Frankfurt's position is attributed to its status as a financial centre and home base for Lufthansa, a major European airline. Schiphol benefits from its central European location, placing it ahead of London Heathrow, which faces limitations due to its island location and constrained expansion possibilities.
Sharing the fourth spot with Schiphol, Chicago O'Hare is the best-connected airport in North America, serving 270 nonstop destinations. Dubai International Airport takes sixth place, offering connections to 269 destinations. Dubai's remarkable growth saw it handle nearly 87 million passengers in 2023, a significant increase of almost a third compared to the previous year.
The United States claims another spot in the top ten with Dallas Fort Worth International Airport at number seven. The "everything's bigger in Texas" adage applies to the airport, as it holds the title of the second-largest airport in the US by land area, only surpassed by Denver International.
Rounding out the top ten, Shanghai Pudong International Airport stands as the best-connected airport in Asia, serving 243 nonstop destinations.
The world's busiest airport by passenger volume, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, comes in at number nine with 237 direct flight routes.
Finally, Rome Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport takes the tenth spot, offering connections to 234 destinations. Notably, the Rome airport was recognised earlier this year by Skytrax, an airline and airport review and ranking site, for having the best airport security processing in the world.
The list highlights the diverse and constantly evolving landscape of global air travel, with airports competing for dominance in terms of connectivity and passenger throughput. As travel demand continues to increase, it will be interesting to see how these rankings shift in the coming years, and whether Istanbul Airport can maintain its position as the world's best-connected hub.
