This is the world’s best-connected airport thanks to its strategic location

New data has revealed the world’s best-connected airport.

IGA Istanbul Airport has been named the the world’s best-connected airport based on data from the first two quarters of 2024 compiled by aviation analytics platform Cirium.

The airport, which opened just six years ago in 2018, operates 309 nonstop flights to destinations around the world — mostly through Turkish Airlines, which serves more countries than any other airline.

“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.”

Istanbul Airport is a global hub that sees about 90 million passengers pass through per year with an annual capacity of 200 million, making it the seventh busiest airport in the world.

The airports that follow Istanbul Airport as the most connected are Frankfurt with 296 nonstop flights, Paris Charles de Gaulle with 282 and Amsterdam Schiphol with 270.

As for North America, the most connected airport is Chicago O’Hare, tying at No. 4 with Amsterdam Schiphol, serving 270 nonstop destinations.

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport comes in seventh, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is at ninth, and narrowly missing the top 10 is Denver International Airport at 11th, serving 229 nonstop destinations.

Here are the top 10 most connected airports in the world, according to Cirium:

1. Istanbul Airport (309 unique nonstop destinations)

2. Frankfurt Airport (296)

3. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (282)

4. TIE: Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (270)

4. TIE: Chicago O’Hare International Aiport (270)

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)