In the vast and interconnected world of aviation, airports serve as crucial gateways that connect travellers to destinations across the globe. We explore the most-connected airports based on the total number of unique destinations that they served in 2022.
According to data obtained from CIRIUM, Frankfurt Airport managed to top the list serving an impressive 330 unique destinations. Here’re the most well-connected airports of 2022.
Top 10 Most Connected Airports in 2022
1. Frankfurt Airport (FRA)
Number of Destinations: 330
Major Operators: Lufthansa, Condor, Eurowings Discover
Major Routes: London Heathrow, Munich, Berlin, Paris, New York
2. Istanbul Airport (IST)
Number of Destinations: 309
Major Operators: Turkish Airlines
Major Routes: Antalya, Ankara, Tehran, London Heathrow, Paris
3. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
Number of Destinations: 308
Major Operators: Air France, easyJet, Delta Airlines
Major Routes: London Heathrow, New York, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Rome, Frankfurt
4. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)
Number of Destinations: 293
Major Operators: KLM, Transavia, easyJet, Ryanair, Vueling, TUI fly Netherlands
Major Routes: London Heathrow, Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, Lisbon
5. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
Number of Destinations: 278
Major Operators: American Airlines, United Airlines
Major Routes: Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Dallas, Las Vegas
6. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
Number of Destinations: 269
Major Operators: American Airlines
Major Routes: Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Denver, Atlanta
7. Dubai International Airport (DXB)
Number of Destinations: 262
Major Operators: Emirates, flydubai, SAUDIA, IndiGo
Major Routes: London, Mumbai, Delhi, Istanbul
Dubai was the only airport from the Middle East to rank in the top 10.
8. London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
Number of Destinations: 242
Major Operators: British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines, United Airlines, Lufthansa
Major Routes: New York, Dubai, Los Angeles, Frankfurt
London’s trio of airports – Heathrow (LHR), Gatwick (LGW), and Stansted (STN) ranked within the top 20, with Heathrow ranking seventh and offering 242 unique destinations.
9. Rome Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport (FCO)
Number of Destinations: 239
Major Operators: ITA Airways, Ryanair, Vueling Airlines, Wizz Air
Major Routes: Milan, Barcelona, London, Paris, Berlin
10. Denver International Airport (DEN)
Number of Destinations: 226
Major Operators: United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Frontier Airlines
Major Routes: Los Angeles, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Chicago, Dallas, Seattle
The top 20 most-connected airports predominantly featured airports from North America and Europe, with a notable exception being Dubai International Airport (DXB) from the Middle East. Here are the airports ranked from 11th to 20th.
11. Vienna International Airport (VIE): 221 Destinations
12. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL): 220 Destinations
13. Munich Franz Josef Strauss International Airport (MUC): 216 Destinations
14. Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD): 214 Destinations
15. London Gatwick Airport (LGW): 213 Destinations
16. Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH): 213 Destinations
17. Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN): 210 Destinations
18. Manchester Airport (MAN): 210 Destinations
19. London Stansted Airport (STN): 209 Destinations
20. Zurich Airport (ZRH): 205 Destinations