London Heathrow Airport (LHR) is the world’s most internationally connected airport in 2023. The OAG Megahubs Index 2023 reveals the most internationally connected airports in the world and by region.
The rankings were generated by comparing the number of scheduled connections to and from international flights with the number of destinations served from the airport on the busiest day between September 2022 and August 2023.
OAG analyzed flight data for the 100 largest airports in the world based on total scheduled seats and calculated the total number of all possible connections between inbound and outbound flights within a six-hour window (where either the inbound, outbound, or both flights are international).
Top 10 International Airport Megahubs
London Heathrow Airport (LHR) has clinched the top spot as the world’s most internationally connected airport. In addition, LHR ranked as the fourth largest airport globally in terms of total scheduled capacity for the period through August 2023.
While the total number of potential connections during this selected timeframe has yet to fully rebound to 2019 levels, London Heathrow Airport maintains its supremacy this year, boasting the highest ratio of connections to destinations served.
Notably, the presence of multiple Asian airport hubs is a significant development, especially considering the ongoing recovery process in the region. Kuala Lumpur (KUL) emerges as the most connected among these hubs, securing fourth place. Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND) closely follows in fifth position.
| Rank | Airport | Country | Destinations* | Dominant Carrier | Share of Flights | |
| 1 | London Heathrow (LHR) | United Kingdom | 224 | British Airways | 50% | |
| 2 | New York-JFK (JFK) | USA | 189 | Delta Airlines | 34% | |
| 3 | Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) | Netherlands | 262 | KLM | 53% | |
| 4 | Kuala Lumpur (KUL) | Malaysia | 116 | AirAsia | 34% | |
| 5 | Tokyo-Haneda (HND) | Japan | 105 | All Nippon Airways | 36% | |
| 6 | Frankfurt Airport (FRA) | Germany | 290 | Lufthansa | 61% | |
| 7 | Istanbul Airport (IST) | Turkey | 303 | Turkish Airlines | 79% | |
| 8 | Seoul Incheon (ICN) | South Korea | 148 | Korean Air | 22% | |
| 9 | Paris-CDG | France | 267 | Air France | 55% | |
| 10 | Chicago O’Hare (ORD) | USA | 242 | United Airlines | 48% |
Joining London Heathrow in the esteemed league of the Top 10 Global Megahubs are major European airport hubs such as Amsterdam (AMS), Frankfurt (FRA), Paris (CDG), and Istanbul (IST).
North America
New York – JFK ranked as the most internationally connected North American Airport followed by Chicago O’Hare (ORD) and Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ). Atlanta (ATL) and Newark (EWR) completed the Top 5 North American airports.
| Rank | Airport | Country | Dominant Carrier | Share of Flights | |
| 1 | JFK | USA | Delta Air Lines | 34% | |
| 2 | ORD | USA | United Airlines | 48% | |
| 3 | YYZ | Canada | Air Canada | 54% | |
| 4 | ATL | USA | Delta Air Lines | 75% | |
| 5 | EWR | USA | United Airlines | 70% | |
| 6 | LAX | USA | Delta Air Lines | 20% | |
| 7 | DFW | USA | American Airlines | 84% | |
| 8 | MIA | USA | American Airlines | 65% | |
| 9 | IAH | USA | United Airlines | 77% | |
| 10 | SEA | USA | Alaska Airlines | 54% |
Europe
In Europe, London Heathrow Airport (LHR) remains in the #1 position. Amsterdam (AMS) ranked second moving up from 4th place in 2019. Notably, Istanbul (IST) has also surged into the Top 10, securing an impressive fourth place.
| Rank | Airport | Country | Dominant Carrier | Share of Flights | |
| 1 | LHR | United Kingdom | British Airways | 50% | |
| 2 | AMS | Netherlands | KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines | 53% | |
| 3 | FRA | Germany | Deutsche Lufthansa AG | 61% | |
| 4 | IST | Turkey | Turkish Airlines | 79% | |
| 5 | CDG | France | Air France | 55% | |
| 6 | MUC | Germany | Deutsche Lufthansa AG | 60% | |
| 7 | MAD | Spain | Iberia | 49% | |
| 8 | SAW | Turkey | Pegasus Airlines | 60% | |
| 9 | ATH | Greece | Aegean Airlines | 34% | |
| 10 | BCN | Spain | Vueling Airlines | 43% |
Asia-Pacific Region
Asia Pacific, while having the second-highest average Connectivity Index for the Top 10 Megahubs, has seen significant change over the year.
Five of the region’s Top 10 most connected Megahubs are in South East Asia with, as yet, no Chinese airports returning to the Megahubs regional ranking. Meanwhile, the Top 10 also accommodates two Japanese airports, Tokyo Haneda (HND) and Fukuoka (FUK).
| Rank | Airport | Country | Dominant Carrier | Share of Flights | |
| 1 | KUL | Malaysia | AirAsia | 34% | |
| 2 | HND | Japan | All Nippon Airways | 36% | |
| 3 | ICN | Korea Republic of | Korean Air | 22% | |
| 4 | BKK | Thailand | Thai Airways International | 14% | |
| 5 | SIN | Singapore | Singapore Airlines | 31% | |
| 6 | MNL | Philippines | Philippine Airlines | 32% | |
| 7 | CGK | Indonesia | Batik Air | 21% | |
| 8 | SYD | Australia | Qantas Airways | 40% | |
| 9 | DEL | India | IndiGo | 39% | |
| 10 | FUK | Japan | Japan Airlines | 19% |
Middle East & Africa
In the Middle East and Africa, Dubai International Airport (DXB) retained its 1st position, with Qatar’s Hamad International Airport (DOH) and South Africa’s Johannesburg (JNB) completing the top three.
| Rank | Airport | Country | Dominant Carrier | Share of Flights | |
| 1 | DXB | United Arab Emirates | Emirates | 39% | |
| 2 | DOH | Qatar | Qatar Airways | 80% | |
| 3 | JNB | South Africa | Airlink | 37% | |
| 4 | RUH | Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabian Airlines | 41% | |
| 5 | CAI | Egypt | Egyptair | 42% | |
| 6 | ADD | Ethiopia | Ethiopian Airlines | 96% | |
| 7 | JED | Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabian Airlines | 41% | |
| 8 | KWI | Kuwait | Jazeera Airways | 31% | |
| 9 | AUH | United Arab Emirates | Etihad Airways | 53% | |
| 10 | BAH | Bahrain | Gulf Air | 63% |
Latin America
Mexico City Airport (MEX) remains the top-ranked airport in Latin America followed by Colombia’s Bogota Airport and Brazil’s São Paulo Guarulhos International Airport.
| Rank | Airport | Country | Dominant Carrier | Share of Flights | |
| 1 | MEX | Mexico | Aeromexico | 58% | |
| 2 | BOG | Colombia | Avianca | 53% | |
| 3 | GRU | Brazil | LATAM Airlines Group | 49% | |
| 4 | PTY | Panama | Copa Airlines | 92% | |
| 5 | LIM | Peru | LATAM Airlines Group | 59% |
Top 10 Low-Cost Carrier Airport Megahubs
Kuala Lumpur Airport (KUL) is ranked 1st in the Low-Cost Megahubs Index with 11,188 possible low-cost connections across over 100 destinations. AirAsia is the dominant carrier with a 34% share of flights.
In the Top 25 Low-Cost Megahubs:
- Asia Pacific airports dominate the rankings with 13 airports (52%).
- EMEA has eight airports (32%).
- North America and Latin America have just two airports each in this league.
The dominance of the Asia-Pacific region reflects the high level of LCC penetration in parts of Asia. South Asia, in particular, stands out, boasting the world’s highest share of capacity operated by LCCs, accounting for an impressive 63%. South East Asia closely follows with the second-highest LCC share, where 53% of the region’s total capacity is handled by these carriers.
In the global ranking of Low-Cost Megahubs, Incheon International Airport (ICN) secures the second position, while Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) impressively lands in third place.
| Rank | Airport | Country | Dominant Carrier | Share of Flights | |
| 1 | KUL | Malaysia | AirAsia | 34% | |
| 2 | ICN | Korea Republic of | Korean Air | 22% | |
| 3 | MNL | Philippines | Philippine Airlines | 32% | |
| 4 | SIN | Singapore | Singapore Airlines | 31% | |
| 5 | CGK | Indonesia | Batik Air | 21% | |
| 6 | DEL | India | IndiGo | 39% | |
| 7 | DXB | United Arab Emirates | Emirates | 39% | |
| 8 | JFK | USA | Delta Air Lines | 34% | |
| 9 | BCN | Spain | Vueling Airlines | 43% | |
| 10 | SAW | Turkey | Pegasus Airlines | 60% |
Over in North America, New York’s JFK Airport takes the lead as the highest-ranked North American airport among the Top 25 Low-Cost Megahubs in 8th position.
Turning to Europe, Barcelona Airport (BCN) and Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) make their mark by claiming the top positions among European airports within the Top 25, securing the 9th and 10th spots, respectively.
Data Source: OAG