The latest annual report from aviation data provider Official Airline Guide (OAG) highlights the continued rebound of air travel in the Asia-Pacific region. Of the 10 busiest international routes in 2024, seven are within Asia-Pacific, underscoring the region’s resilience and recovery in the post-pandemic era.
Key Findings from OAG’s 2024 Report:
OAG’s analysis, based on scheduled seat volumes for the year, reveals that Asia-Pacific routes dominate the rankings, with Hong Kong-Taipei reclaiming its title as the world’s busiest international route. This route, covering the short two-hour distance, accounted for 6.8 million seats in 2024. This marks a full recovery to pre-pandemic levels, surpassing previous records set in 2019.
Following closely, Seoul to Tokyo Narita secured the third position, showing impressive growth of 69% in seat capacity compared to pre-pandemic numbers. This route provided 5.4 million seats, reflecting the resurgent demand for regional travel.
The dominance of Asia-Pacific routes is further highlighted by the inclusion of other major regional links, such as Kuala Lumpur to Singapore (4.98 million seats) and Seoul to Osaka (4.98 million seats), which placed in the top five.
West Asia and Leisure Travel Expansion:
In addition to Asia-Pacific’s dominance, routes from West Asia have shown notable growth. The Cairo-Jeddah route emerged as the second-busiest, experiencing a 62% increase in available seats since 2019. This route’s strong showing points to an expanding demand for travel between the Middle East and North Africa, largely driven by both business and leisure sectors.
Similarly, Dubai to Riyadh claimed the sixth spot, fueled by Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative, which has enhanced both business and tourism activities between the two cities.
Interestingly, the Cairo-Jeddah route is predominantly driven by leisure travelers, signaling a shift in post-pandemic aviation trends. While historically business travel dominated many international routes, leisure travel has taken a more significant share in recent years, reflecting changing travel patterns.
Transatlantic and Other Key Routes:
Despite Asia-Pacific’s dominance, the only transatlantic route to make the list was New York JFK to London Heathrow. With 4 million scheduled seats, this route showed only a modest 5% increase in seat capacity compared to 2019, highlighting the slower pace of recovery in some long-haul markets.
The Top 10 Busiest International Routes of 2024:
- Hong Kong (HKG)–Taipei (TPE): 6.8 million seats
- Cairo (CAI)–Jeddah (JED): 5.47 million seats
- Seoul (ICN)–Tokyo Narita (NRT): 5.4 million seats
- Kuala Lumpur (KUL)–Singapore (SIN): 5.38 million seats
- Seoul (ICN)–Osaka (KIX): 4.98 million seats
- Dubai (DXB)–Riyadh (RUH): 4.3 million seats
- Bangkok (BKK)–Hong Kong (HKG): 4.2 million seats
- Jakarta (CGK)–Singapore (SIN): 4.07 million seats
- Bangkok (BKK)–Singapore (SIN): 4.03 million seats
- New York JFK–London Heathrow (LHR): 4.01 million seats
These rankings offer insight into the evolving landscape of global air travel. As leisure travel continues to surge, the top routes of 2024 provide a snapshot of where both business and leisure travelers are flocking as the aviation sector moves beyond the pandemic’s disruptions. Looking ahead, these routes are expected to remain crucial in shaping air travel dynamics well into 2025 and beyond.
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