Asia-Pacific Region Dominates Busiest Route Rankings in 2023

In 2023, the Asia-Pacific region emerged as a major hub in global air travel, with seven of the top ten busiest international routes. Leading the pack is the route from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), which saw over 4.9 million seats offered by airlines, including AirAsia, which holds a 30% market share. This short 184-mile route has become the world’s busiest, surpassing Cairo-Jeddah and marking a 12% decline from its 2019 levels.

Interestingly, the market between Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and Taipei’s Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), once the busiest in 2019, is now the third busiest. Despite a 130% increase in capacity in 2023, it still falls short of pre-pandemic figures by 43%.

The New York JFK to London Heathrow route is the only one in the top ten not involving Asia-Pacific or Middle East destinations, ranking eighth with a 24% year-on-year increase.

Domestically, the busiest global route in 2023 is from Seoul’s Gimpo Airport (GMP) to Jeju (CJU), offering 13.7 million seats, albeit a 21% decrease from 2019. Japan dominates the second and third spots with Chitose-Tokyo Haneda and Fukuoka-Tokyo Haneda routes, respectively.

Other notable routes include Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, Melbourne to Sydney, and Jakarta to Denpasar. In the U.S., the Honolulu-Kahului route leads, while in China, Beijing Capital to Shanghai Hongqiao is the busiest.

This data, provided by OAG, reflects significant shifts in global air travel patterns, particularly the dominance of the Asia-Pacific region in international routes and the resilience of domestic air travel in various countries.