Currently, this airport holds the title as the most interconnected globally.
IGA, Istanbul Airport, which recently celebrated its sixth anniversary in 2024, has been identified as the world's most interconnected airport according to new statistics compiled by aviation data firm Cirium.
This significant airport, nestled strategically between East and West in Turkey, boasts an astonishing 309 direct flights to locations worldwide. Majority of these flights are operated by Turkish Airlines, a carrier that services more countries than any other airline in existence.
Approximately 90 million travelers pass through this global hub annually, making it the seventh busiest airport globally, while its annual capacity comfortably accommodates 200 million passengers.
Interestingly, air traffic in the first half of 2024 has surpassed the 2019 level for the first time since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking about the airport's significance, Selahattin Bilgen, its CEO, expressed in a statement to CNN, "Our advantageous geographic location at the intersection of Europe and Asia allows us to serve as a crucial hub for international travel. Beyond that, we have proven to be the most tenacious airport, recovering more quickly than any other after the Covid-19 pandemic and reestablishing our pre-pandemic passenger numbers prior to any other airport worldwide."
Following Istanbul Airport on the list are three European airports: Frankfurt at second place, Paris Charles de Gaulle at third, and Amsterdam Schiphol at fourth.
Frankfurt, a significant financial hub and home to Lufthansa, one of Europe's largest airlines, comes in second. Schiphol's spot in the European heartland, conferring it an advantage over an airport like London Heathrow, which is isolated on an island on the outskirts of European activity and saddled with expansion constraints due to its densely populated location, contributes to its ranking.
Best-connected airports in North America
Equally well-connected as Schiphol, Chicago O'Hare, boasting 270 nonstop destinations, shares the top spot in North America.
Dubai International, presenting at No. 6, boasts 269 nonstop destinations under its wing. Dubai's passenger traffic grew by a staggering 27% in 2023 compared to 2022, according to statistics from Airports Council International.
Two US airports also rank high in the list: Dallas Fort Worth International and Denver International Airport, both noted for their vast land areas.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport ranks eighth in Asia, offering 243 nonstop destinations.
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the world's busiest by passenger volume, is ranked ninth, with 237 nonstop destinations.
The Rome Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport takes the tenth position, featuring 234 nonstop destinations. Interestingly, in April of this year, this airport claimed the accolade of the world's best airport security processing, based on the annual survey conducted by Skytrax, a UK-based airline and airport review and ranking site.
Current Best-connected Airports
- Istanbul Airport (309 unique direct flights)
- Frankfurt Airport (296)
- Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport (282)
- Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (270)
- Chicago O'Hare International (270)
- Dubai International Airport (269)
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (261)
- Shanghai Pudong International Airport (243)
- Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (237)
- Rome Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport (234)
- Denver International Airport (229)
- London Heathrow Airport (221)
- Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport (219)
- Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport (218)
- London Gatwick Airport (218)
- Munich Franz Joseph Strauss Airport (217)
- Barcelona El Prat Airport (209)
- Beijing Capital International Airport (206)
- Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (202)
- Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (202)
After celebrating its sixth anniversary, IGA, Istanbul Airport, continues to make headlines in travel news due to its high interconnectivity. New statistics show that it has the most direct flights to locations worldwide among all airports.
In light of this travel news, IGA's swift recovery from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been lauded as a significant achievement in the aviation industry.
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