2024’s Busiest Flight Routes: OAG Reveals Top 10

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Aviation intelligence company OAG has unveiled its report on the busiest flight routes of 2024, highlighting significant trends in both international and domestic air travel. According to the latest data, the Hong Kong-Taipei route has reclaimed its position as the world’s busiest international flight route, a title it last held in 2019. This resurgence comes despite seat capacity remaining 15% below pre-pandemic levels, underscoring the strong demand for this key Asia-Pacific corridor.

Top International Flight Routes
Seven of the top 10 busiest international routes are situated in the Asia-Pacific region, although many still operate with reduced seat capacities compared to 2019. The Hong Kong-Taipei route leads the list with 6.78 million seats available, followed closely by the Cairo-Jeddah route in the Middle East, which boasts 5.47 million seats—a 62% increase from 2019 levels. The Seoul Incheon-Tokyo Narita route also shows impressive growth, with a 68% increase in seats, reaching 5.41 million.

Other notable international routes include:
Bangkok-Hong Kong: 4.20 million seats
Bangkok-Singapore: 4.03 million seats
Dubai-Riyadh: 4.31 million seats
Jakarta-Singapore: 4.07 million seats
Kuala Lumpur-Singapore: 5.38 million seats
New York JFK-London Heathrow: 4.01 million seats
Seoul Incheon-Osaka: 4.98 million seats
The Cairo-Jeddah and Seoul Incheon-Tokyo Narita routes have experienced substantial growth due to factors such as increased demand, the entry of new carriers like Eastar and Air Japan, and airport capacity adjustments. John Grant, Chief Analyst at OAG, explains, “With the Chinese international market still slowly recovering, airlines have allocated aircraft to other high-demand markets like Japan. Additionally, airport capacity constraints at Haneda have redirected new capacity to Narita.”

Domestic Flight Routes Dominate Globally
On the domestic front, Asia-Pacific continues to dominate with nine out of the ten busiest domestic routes worldwide. The Seoul-Jeju Gimpo route in South Korea tops the list with a staggering 14.2 million seats available in 2024, despite operating 19% below pre-pandemic capacity. Following closely are several routes in Japan:

Sapporo-Tokyo Haneda: 11.9 million seats
Fukuoka-Tokyo Haneda: 11.3 million seats
Tokyo Haneda-Okinawa: 8.0 million seats
Other busy domestic routes include:

Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: 10.6 million seats
Melbourne-Sydney, Australia: 9.2 million seats
Jeddah-Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: 8.7 million seats
Mumbai-Delhi, India: 7.9 million seats
Beijing-Shanghai, China: 7.7 million seats
Guangzhou-Shanghai, China: 7.0 million seats

Regional Insights and Trends
The Middle East has seen significant growth, particularly with the Jeddah-Riyadh route, which increased its seat capacity by 9% since 2019. In Europe, the busiest domestic route is Barcelona-Mallorca with 2.9 million seats, while Africa’s top route links Cape Town to Johannesburg with 5 million seats.

OAG’s report indicates that while Latin America did not feature in the top 10 international routes, the Orlando-San Juan route remains the busiest in the region with 2.3 million seats.

As global travel continues to recover, OAG expects further realignment of flight capacities, especially as airlines adjust to post-pandemic demand patterns. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has extended its flight ban over Libyan airspace until the end of April 2025, impacting route expansions in regions like the Middle East.

Overall, the 2024 busiest flight routes highlight the resilience and dynamic shifts in global air travel, with Asia-Pacific leading both international and domestic sectors. Travelers and industry stakeholders alike will keep a close eye on these trends as the aviation landscape continues to evolve.

For more detailed insights and the complete list of the busiest flight routes, visit OAG’s official report.

Related News : https://airguide.info/category/air-travel-business/

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