These are officially the best connected airports in the world

It would be reasonable to assume that the world’s best-connected airport has been around for quite a while – long enough to test multiple routes, apply learnings to new paths, and find the smoothest way to handle multiple flight paths. Heathrow, for example, has long been hailed as one of the world’s best airports since it opened nearly 80 years ago.

However, a new survey by aviation analyst Cirium has shown that the best-connected airports worldwide are not necessarily those that have been around the longest. Heathrow has dropped from eighth to 12th place, while Rome (which opened in 1961) came in tenth.

First place goes to IGA Istanbul Airport, which has only been in operation for six years. The mega hub offers 309 non-stop flights to 315 destinations and transports almost 90 million passengers annually (as of January 2024).

The airport’s impressive success is largely due to its location. Selahattin Bilgen, CEO of the airport, told CNN: “Our strategic location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia enables us to serve as a major hub for international travel. We have also proven to be the most resilient airport, recovering fastest from the Covid-19 pandemic and returning to our pre-pandemic passenger numbers before any other airport in the world.”

Second place went to Frankfurt with 296 non-stop destinations, followed by Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle Airport (282) in third place. Fourth place was shared by Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport with 270 non-stop destinations. London-Gatwick took 14th place (221).

The 10 best connected airports in the world

1. Istanbul Airport (309)

2. Frankfurt Airport (296)

3. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (282)

4. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (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)