Istanbul has the world’s most connected airport, analysis shows

With direct flights to 309 destinations, Istanbul’s main airport is the world’s “most connected,” according to a new ranking which puts Frankfurt second on 295 and Paris-Charles de Gaulle third with 282 destinations.

Amsterdam’s Schiphol was 4th, with Chicago-O’Hare next and the highest-ranked non-European hub on the list, which was put together by Cirium, an aviation analytics business.

“Of this year’s top 20, half (10) were European airports, four were in both China and the US, and two in the Middle East,” Cirium said.

Atlanta, the world’s busiest airport measured by number of passengers, is the 9th most connected, according to Cirium, which said its list is based on the “number of unique non-stop destinations served from each airport” during the first half of 2024.

Dubai at 6 is the most connected airport outside Europe and North America, with Shanghai Pudong, listed 8th, the highest-placed in the Asia-Pacific region.

With direct flights to 221 destinations, London Heathrow, usually the busiest airport in Europe when measured by numbers of flights or passengers, dropped from 8th to 12th on the list.

Travellers from the British capital nonetheless have a large array of options, including via London Gatwick, which followed close behind Heathrow in 14th, with direct flights to 218 destinations.