The world’s most connected airports have been unveiled, with five European hubs securing positions in the top 10.
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According to the latest Megahubs Index from OAG, Istanbul Airport in Türkiye claimed the top spot for 2024, overtaking London Heathrow. The rankings are determined by the number of possible connections between inbound and outbound flights within a six-hour window on the busiest day of the year—Sunday, 2 August—and the total destinations served.
Despite ranking as the eighth busiest airport globally by capacity, Istanbul offers potential connections to 337 destinations worldwide. London Heathrow slipped to second place, with potential connections declining 6% compared to the previous year’s peak day. OAG attributes this drop to ongoing disruptions to Middle East schedules, noting Heathrow’s capacity to the region is down 25% this August.
Other European entries in the top 10 include Amsterdam Schiphol in third, Frankfurt International in seventh, and Paris Charles de Gaulle in ninth. Across the top 50, Europe accounts for 12 megahubs, including Madrid Adolfo Suárez-Barajas (18th), Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen (21st), Athens (22nd), Munich (23rd), Rome Fiumicino (27th), Barcelona (41st), and Zurich (45th).
The top 10 most connected airports in the world
1. Istanbul Airport, Türkiye
2. London Heathrow Airport, UK
3. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Netherlands
4. Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia
5. Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Illinois, US
6. Seoul Incheon International Airport, South Korea
7. Frankfurt International Airport, Germany
8. Tokyo International (Haneda), Japan
9. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, France
10. Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Georgia, US