It’s been a banner year for air travel, with the busiest Thanksgiving ever in the United States and the upcoming holiday travel season expected to break records globally.
With traffic expected to increase next year, OAG, a data platform for the aviation and broader travel industries, released an analysis outlining the busiest routes around the world as well as within the US in 2024.
OAG ranks routes by the number of seats flown in both directions during the year, rather than the number of flights. So for example, a flight operated by a British Airways Airbus A380 will contribute 469 seats each time it takes off.
When to go: This is the best time to buy international flights
Only one US route made the international top 10, New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)-London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) slipped to number 10. More than 4 million seats are scheduled to fly on this route. to the end of 2024, an increase of 3% from 2023, the OAG said.
Asia has broadly dominated the global rankings as the region continues its post-pandemic recovery. The service between Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), near Taipei, Taiwan, ranked as the world’s busiest international route with 6.8 million seats – a 48% increase from last year, when the route was ranked third, but in 2019 15% reduction from peaks.
In the United States, the top 10 list of busiest domestic routes saw little movement from previous years, but Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)-Orlando International Airport (MCO) was largely a surprise as it moved into the top spot. , reflecting Orlando’s longstanding draw in the leisure market.
The newcomer to the list, however, was New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA)-Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), which ranked 7th. That route saw the largest capacity growth over the previous year, OAG said, at 17% over 2023 levels.
Map view: Award for ‘Sexiest New Route’ of the year…
Daily newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily Newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for the latest news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts
“Although American Airlines and United maintained similar route capacity from New York LaGuardia to Chicago, the addition of 700 flights from Spirit Airlines helped position it as the busiest US route this year, pointing to an evolving competitive landscape,” John Grant said. , OAG’s chief analyst.
Interestingly, the number 2 route — Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)—Maui’s Kahului Airport (OGG)—actually has 7% fewer seats than in 2023. This decline was likely the result of a number of factors, including the ongoing recovery. 2023 wildfires and a softening of the Japanese market for Hawaii tourism. Capacity was still 17% above 2019 levels.
| rank | route | seats |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ATL-MCO | 3,474,713 is |
| 2 | HNL-OGG | 3,369,790 is |
| 3 | LAS-LAX | 3,354,849 is |
| 4 | DEN-PHX | 3,214,473 is |
| 5 | LAX-SFO | 3,158,654 is |
| 6 | JFK-LAX | 3,158,654 is |
| 7 | LGA-ORD | 3,118,179 is |
| 8 | ATL-FLL | is 2,998,172 |
| 9 | ATL-LGA | is 2,918,755 |
| 10 | Dan-Las | is 2,885,378 |
Go to OAG To check the full 2024 busiest route report.
Related Reading: