The 10 Best-Connected Airports in the World

03.09.2024 - 18:18 / cntraveler.com / London Gatwick / Mike Arnot

One might reasonably assume that the world’s best-connected airports would have been around for a while—long enough to test out new airline routes, apply those learnings, and figure out the smoothest way to introduce new carriers and destinations. Heathrow, for example, has long been hailed as one of the world’s best hubs, having opened nearly 80 years ago.

However, a new study by aviation analytics firm Cirium has shown that the best-connected airports worldwide are not necessarily those that have been around the longest. Heathrow has dropped from eighth to 12th place, while Rome (which first opened in 1961) came in 10th place.

First place has been awarded to Istanbul Airport (IST), which has only been operating for six years. The mega-hub runs 309 nonstop flights, traveling to 315 destinations, and servicing nearly 90 million passengers yearly (as of January 2024). By the end of 2023, Istanbul Airport serviced 505,968 flights compared to the 329,876 flights offered in 2019, its first operating year. The countless connections make Istanbul Airport one of the two airports in Europe and one of six worldwide that provide access to all the earth's inhabited continents, according to a press release from the airport.

This year, the airport has announced plans to add 11 new airlines to its existing portfolio of 101 carriers by the end of 2024—and has added many new flight routes as a result. On June 28, 2024, Istanbul airport announced new flights to Guangzhou through China Southern Airlines as a part of their strategy to return to, and eventually surpass, pre-pandemic levels of travel from China.

In its few years of operation, Istanbul Airport has asserted itself as a major player in the aviation space. “Istanbul is perfectly located to play such a role, at the juncture of Europe and Asia, and it's helped tremendously by the ambitions of its flag carrier, Turkish Airlines,” explains Mike Arnot, a spokesperson who represents Cirium and the Star Alliance. “Compared to before the pandemic, Turkish Airlines has more than doubled the number of seats flown to North America, 30% to Asia, and added 10% to Europe."

Right behind Istanbul, Frankfurt came in second place, with 296 nonstop destinations, followed by Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (282) in third place. Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport were tied in fourth place, with 270 nonstop destinations. London Gatwick came in 14th place (221). See the full list ranked by the number of nonstop flight destinations below:

1. Istanbul Airport (309)

2. Frankfurt Airport (296)

3. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (282)

4. Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (270 = tie)

4. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (270 = tie)

6. Dubai International