For all you globe-trotters out there, this list is going to be your new best friend. It gives you the lowdown on which airports have the best flight connections, making your travel plans smoother than ever.
So, let’s dive in—according to CNN on Wednesday (28/8/2024), the relatively new IGA Istanbul Airport has made waves by snagging the title of the best-connected airport in the world. Not bad for a place that’s only been around since 2018, right?
This fresh data comes from aviation analytics company Cirium. Istanbul Airport, sitting pretty at the crossroads of East and West in Turkey, operates a whopping 309 nonstop flights. These routes cover a vast range of global destinations, making it a hub of international travel.
Most of these flights are courtesy of Turkish Airlines, which flies to more countries than any other airline out there.
With about 90 million passengers passing through each year, it’s no surprise that Istanbul Airport ranks as the seventh busiest in the world. The airport is geared up to handle up to 200 million passengers annually—talk about being prepared!
This is particularly handy since air traffic in the first half of 2024 has actually surpassed pre-pandemic levels from 2019. People are clearly back to their jet-setting ways.
And a quick shoutout to Rome’s airport, which won the award for the best security process globally in April this year, according to a survey by Skytrax, the UK-based airline and airport review and ranking site.
Here’s the rundown of the best-connected airports in the world for 2024:
- Istanbul Airport (309 nonstop destinations)
- Frankfurt Airport (296)
- Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (282)
- Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (270)
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (270)
- Dubai International Airport (269)
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (261)
- Shanghai Pudong International Airport (243)
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (237)
- Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (234)
- Denver International Airport (229)
- London Heathrow Airport (221)
- King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah (219)
- Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport (218)
- London Gatwick Airport (218 – tied)
- 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 – tied)
So, if you’re planning your next adventure and want to know which airports will give you the most options, this list is definitely one to keep in mind. Happy travels!