The Sydney (SYD) to Melbourne (MEL) route remains a heavyweight in global aviation, taking fifth place among the world’s busiest airline routes for 2024. With 9.2 million seats recorded, the route shows its enduring importance as a key connector for Aussie travellers.
The busiest airline routes were compiled and ranked by aviation analyst OAG, based on international and domestic flights around the world for the calendar year.
Globally, the busiest domestic route was Jeju (CJU) to Seoul (GMP) in South Korea, clocking in at an impressive 14.2 million seats. Asia dominated the domestic rankings, with eight of the top 10 airline routes located within the region.
Other high-traffic routes included Tokyo Haneda’s (HND) connections to Chitose (CTS) and Fukuoka (FUK), as well as Vietnam’s Hanoi (HAN) to Ho Chi Minh City (SGN).
Busiest international routes
The Hong Kong (HKG) to Taipei (TPE) route claimed the title of the busiest international airline route, with 6.8 million seats in 2024 – a 48% increase from the previous year. The Cairo (CAI) to Jeddah (JED) route ranked second, with an impressive 62% growth compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
Seoul Incheon (ICN) to Tokyo Narita (NRT) rounded out the top three, with capacity surging by 30% over 2023.
Asia dominated the top 10 busiest international routes, with seven in total, further emphasising the region’s rapid resurgence.
TOP 10 BUSIEST DOMESTIC FLIGHT ROUTES OF 2024 – ranked by seats
| Route | Route Name | Seats | 2019 Rank | 2024 vs 2019 | 2023 Rank | 2024 vs 2023 | |
| 1 | CJU-GMP | Jeju International – Seoul Gimpo | 14,183,719 | 1 | -19% | 1 | 3% |
| 2 | CTS-HND | Sapporo New Chitose – Tokyo Haneda | 11,931,572 | 2 | -5% | 2 | 0% |
| 3 | FUK-HND | Fukuoka – Tokyo Haneda | 11,335,551 | 3 | -1% | 3 | 1% |
| 4 | HAN-SGN | Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City | 10,631,435 | 4 | 4% | 4 | -2% |
| 5 | MEL-SYD | Melbourne – Sydney | 9,217,377 | 5 | -7% | 5 | -1% |
| 6 | JED-RUH | Jeddah – Riyadh | 8,700,415 | 8 | 9% | 8 | 10% |
| 7 | HND-OKA | Tokyo Haneda – Okinawa Naha | 8,033,641 | 9 | 4% | 7 | 1% |
| 8 | BOM-DEL | Mumbai – Delhi | 7,963,686 | 6 | -3% | 9 | 9% |
| 9 | PEK-SHA | Beijing – Shanghai Hongqiao | 7,714,758 | 7 | -5% | 6 | -8% |
| 10 | CAN-SHA | Guangzhou Baiyun – Shanghai Hongqiao | 7,010,321 | 13 | 10% | 11 | -2% |
TOP 10 BUSIEST INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT ROUTES OF 2024 – ranked by seats
| Route | Route Name | Seats | 2019 Rank | 2024 vs 2019 | 2023 Rank | 2024 vs 2023 | |
| 1 | HKG-TPE | Hong Kong – Taipei | 6,781,577 | 1 | -15% | 3 | 48% |
| 2 | CAI-JED | Cairo – Jeddah | 5,469,274 | 14 | 62% | 2 | 14% |
| 3 | ICN-NRT | Seoul Incheon – Tokyo Narita | 5,410,456 | 16 | 68% | 5 | 30% |
| 4 | KUL-SIN | Kuala Lumpur – Singapore Changi | 5,382,163 | 2 | -3% | 1 | 10% |
| 5 | ICN-KIX | Seoul Incheon – Osaka Kansai | 4,982,769 | 12 | 45% | 4 | 18% |
| 6 | DXB-RUH | Dubai – Riyadh | 4,306,599 | 19 | 37% | 6 | 8% |
| 7 | BKK-HKG | Bangkok – Hong Kong | 4,201,802 | 4 | -13% | 11 | 29% |
| 8 | CGK-SIN | Jakarta – Singapore Changi | 4,069,071 | 3 | -26% | 7 | 4% |
| 9 | BKK-SIN | Bangkok – Singapore Changi | 4,033,344 | 9 | 5% | 9 | 16% |
| 10 | JFK-LHR | New York JFK – London Heathrow | 4,011,235 | 8 | 5% | 8 | 3% |
Busiest airports
According to OAG data, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) retained its crown as the world’s busiest airport in 2024, serving 62.7 million seats.
North American airports performed strongly, with Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Denver International Airport (DEN) achieving the highest growth rates among the top 10.
Asia-Pacific airports were among the fastest-growing in 2024, cementing the region’s recovery from the pandemic.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) was a standout performer, climbing from 15th place in 2023 to ninth globally in 2024, with a 29% increase in capacity.
Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) secured its place as the third busiest global airport, with 55.2 million seats, a 5% increase from 2023.
Dubai International Airport (DXB) retained its spot as the world’s busiest international airport, with 60.2 million seats, up 7% year-on-year.
The rankings highlight the airline sector’s robust recovery and Asia-Pacific’s growing influence in shaping global travel trends.
“With growth across all regions of the world, the ten busiest airports once again reflect the strong recovery in the aviation sector in the last two years,” OAG Chief Analyst John Grant said.
“From the successes in Dallas Ft Worth and Guangzhou to the more recent rapid recovery in capacity at Shanghai Pudong, airlines continue to power ahead with new routes and services despite the supply chain challenges of the post-pandemic world.”
The busiest airports by region were:
- ASIA PACIFIC – Tokyo Haneda International Airport | 55,204,580 seats
- MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA – Dubai International Airport | 60,236,220 seats
- EUROPE – London Heathrow Airport | 51,553,190 seats
- NORTH AMERICA – Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport | 62,743,665 seats
- LATIN AMERICA – Bogotá Airport | 28,599,394 seats
TOP 10 BUSIEST GLOBAL AIRPORTS OF 2024 – ranked by seats
| 2024 Ranking | Airport Code | Airport Name | Seats | 2023 Ranking | 2024 vs 2023 | 2019 Ranking | 2024 vs 2019 |
| 1 | ATL | Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Intl | 62,743,665 | 1 | 2% | 1 | -1% |
| 2 | DXB | Dubai International | 60,236,220 | 2 | 7% | 4 | 12% |
| 3 | HND | Tokyo Intl (Haneda) | 55,204,580 | 3 | 5% | 3 | 1% |
| 4 | LHR | London Heathrow | 51,553,190 | 4 | 4% | 7 | 3% |
| 5 | DFW | Dallas Dallas/Fort Worth Intl | 51,516,707 | 5 | 7% | 13 | 18% |
| 6 | DEN | Denver Intl | 49,218,244 | 6 | 5% | 21 | 24% |
| 7 | CAN | Guangzhou Baiyun | 48,852,986 | 10 | 12% | 12 | 9% |
| 8 | IST | Istanbul | 48,517,967 | 7 | 5% | 16 | 15% |
| 9 | PVG | Shanghai Pudong International | 48,503,741 | 15 | 29% | 8 | 3% |
| 10 | ORD | Chicago O’Hare International | 46,992,360 | 9 | 8% | 6 | -7% |
TOP 10 BUSIEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS OF 2024 – ranked by seats
| 2024 Ranking | Airport Code | Airport Name | Seats (Total) | 2023 Ranking | 2024 vs 2023 | 2019 Ranking | 2024 vs 2019 |
| 1 | DXB | Dubai International | 60,236,220 | 1 | 7% | 1 | 12% |
| 2 | LHR | London Heathrow | 48,358,450 | 2 | 4% | 2 | 2% |
| 3 | ICN | Seoul Incheon International | 41,633,831 | 7 | 24% | 5 | -2% |
| 4 | SIN | Singapore Changi | 41,530,309 | 5 | 15% | 4 | -2% |
| 5 | AMS | Amsterdam | 39,998,853 | 3 | 8% | 6 | -3% |
| 6 | IST | Istanbul | 38,636,958 | 6 | 8% | 10 | 20% |
| 7 | CDG | Paris Charles de Gaulle | 38,482,460 | 4 | 5% | 7 | -7% |
| 8 | FRA | Frankfurt International | 35,736,533 | 8 | 7% | 8 | -10% |
| 9 | HKG | Hong Kong International | 34,607,000 | 11 | 40% | 3 | -23% |
| 10 | DOH | Doha (QA) | 32,455,882 | 9 | 13% | 13 | 19% |
