These U.S. Airports Have the Most International and Domestic Connections, According to a Study

12.09.2024 - 17:30 / travelandleisure.com / John F.Kennedy / John Grant

New York City is home to the most connected airport in the United States, bridging the gap between the country and the rest of the world.

New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) serves 199 total destinations and boasts more than 43,300 connections, according to a study from aviation analytics company OAG that was shared with Travel + Leisure. The rankings take into account the total number of destinations served as well as the number of scheduled connections to and from international flights.

According to the study, Delta Air Lines has the most connections at JFK, making up 35 percent of traffic. The international hub is the sixth most-connected airport in the world, but lost a few spots on the list compared to last year when it came in at No. 2.

JFK was followed by Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), which has more than 55,000 connections to 282 destinations, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), which has more than 46,600 connections to 246 destinations. 

However, while these busy airports didn’t snag the top spots globally, both O’Hare and Atlanta’s airport — consistently the busiest in the world — tied for having the largest domestic connectivity in the U.S.

“We can expect Chicago to continue its dominance in the U.S. as it looks to expand its terminals to meet growing demand for international flights, and Atlanta will keep pace as it remains home to two of the country’s largest airlines,” John Grant, chief analyst at OAG, said in a statement shared with T+L. “The growth shown among U.S. Megahubs is reflective of recovery across all regions as international capacity has increased by 12% in 2024 compared to last year.”

Beyond the U.S., London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) was the most connected airport in the world with more than 61,300 connections to 227 destinations. There, British Airways was the dominant carrier with 50 percent of all flights. 

That was followed by Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) and Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND), which also happens to be the cleanest in the world.