Today, the world is more interconnected than ever, and airports, in particular, have emerged as crucial hubs for global connectivity. With the recent resurgence of international air travel, major airports across the world are investing in infrastructure upgrades and expansions to accommodate the surge in traffic. Amid this, aviation analytics firm Cirium has released new data, revealing the world's 10 most well-connected airports in 2024. Surprisingly, Istanbul Grand Airport (IGA), which opened just six years ago in 2018, has been named the world's best-connected airport.
Located in Turkey, the IGA operates 309 nonstop flights to destinations around the world - mostly through Turkish Airlines, which serves more countries than any other airline. Around 90 million passengers a year pass through this global hub, making it the seventh busiest airport in the world, and it has an annual capacity of 200 million, CNN reported.
"Our strategic location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia allows us to serve as a vital hub for international travel," Selahattin Bilgen, the airport's CEO, told the outlet. "We have also proven to be the most resilient airport, recovering the fastest ever after the Covid-19 pandemic and reaching our pre-pandemic passenger numbers before any other airport in the world," the CEO added.
The airports that follow Istanbul Airport as the most connected are Frankfurt with 296 nonstop flights, Paris Charles De Gaulle with 282 and Amsterdam Schiphol with 270.
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Tying with Amsterdam Schiphol at number 4, with 270 nonstop destinations served, Chicago O'Hare is the best-connected airport in North America. Dubai International is at number 6, serving 269 nonstop destinations. Dallas Fort Worth International in the US has been ranked number 7 on the list this year.
Shanghai Pudong International is at number 8 and is the best-connected airport in Asia, serving 243 nonstop destinations. The world's busiest airport by passenger volume, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International, is at number 9, serving 237 nonstop destinations, per the outlet.
The final spot in the top 10 is taken by Rome Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport, with 234 nonstop destinations.
