World’s best-connected airports

By Maureen O'Hare, Aug 26: It’s not who you know, but where you’re flying them to.

IGA Istanbul Airport, which opened just six years ago in 2018, has been revealed as the world’s best-connected airport, according to new data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Occupying a prime East-meets-West location in Turkey, Istanbul Airport operates an impressive 309 nonstop flights to destinations around the world. Most of those are with 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.

That could prove handy, as air traffic in the first half of 2024 has exceeded 2019 levels for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

“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, said in a statement to CNN. “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.”

Three European airports are next on the list: Frankfurt at No. 2, Paris Charles de Gaulle at No. 3 and Amsterdam Schiphol at No. 4.

Frankfurt is a financial hub and a base for German flag carrier Lufthansa, one of Europe’s biggest airlines. Schiphol is well located at the heart of Europe, which gives it an advantage over somewhere such as London Heathrow, on an island at the edge of the continental action and with expansion plans hampered by its densely populated location.

Best connected in North America

Tying with Schiphol at No. 4, with 270 nonstop destinations served, Chicago O’Hare is the best connected airport in North America.

Dubai International is at No. 6, serving 269 nonstop destinations. Dubai handled around 87 million passengers in 2023, which was nearly a full third more than it did in 2022, according to data from Airports Council International.

Another US airport is at No. 7: Dallas Fort Worth International. Everything’s bigger in Texas, as the saying goes, and Dallas Fort Worth is the second-largest airport by land area in the United States, just behind Denver International in Colorado.

Shanghai Pudong International is at No. 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 No. 9, serving 237 nonstop destinations.

The final spot in the top 10 is taken by Rome Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport, with 234 nonstop destinations.

In April this year, the Rome airport took the prize for the world’s best airport security processing, in UK-based airline and airport review and ranking site Skytrax’s annual survey.

The best-connected airports right now

1. Istanbul Airport. (309 unique nonstop destinations).

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 Airport. (269).

7. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. (261).

8. Shanghai Pudong International Airport. (243).

9. Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. (237).

10. Rome Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport. (234).

11. Denver International Airport. (229).