Asia-Pacific regions lead 2024 with 7 of top 10 busiest airline routes

Asia-Pacific dominates Official Airline Guide's 2024 report, claiming seven of the 10 busiest airline routes. Hong Kong-Taipei leads, signalling a strong recovery in post-pandemic air travel

An annual report released on December 17 by aviation data provider Official Airline Guide (OAG) highlights the resurgence of air travel in the Asia-Pacific region. Seven of the 10 busiest international airline routes this year connect cities within Asia-Pacific, showcasing the region’s recovery, according to a report by The Economic Times.

 

Two additional routes connect destinations in West Asia, while one reflects the dominance of leisure travel over business trips, even four years after the pandemic disrupted global aviation.

 

OAG analysed scheduled airline seat volumes from January to December 2024 to identify the busiest international and domestic flight routes. The findings account for round-trip journeys rather than single-direction flights.

Key highlights 

1. Asia’s comeback leaders

>The Hong Kong-Taipei route reclaimed its title as the world’s busiest international flight route, last held in 2019. This short, two-hour journey accounted for 6.8 million available seats in 2024.  

 

>Seoul to Tokyo Narita ranked third, showing a significant 69 per cent growth in seat availability compared to pre-pandemic levels, with 5.4 million seats.  

 

2. West Asia expansion  

>Cairo to Jeddah emerged as the second-busiest route, witnessing a 62 per cent rise in seat numbers compared to 2019.  

 

>Dubai to Riyadh ranked sixth, reflecting the growing influence of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 project, which continues to boost both business and leisure travel.  

 

3. Leisure takes the lead

Unlike traditional business routes, the high volumes between Jeddah and Cairo point predominantly to leisure travel, indicating a shift in priorities.

 

4. Transatlantic representation  

New York JFK to London Heathrow was the only transatlantic route in the top 10, with four million scheduled seats — a modest 5 per cent increase from 2019 levels.

10 busiest international airline routes of 2024

1. Hong Kong (HKG)–Taipei (TPE): 6.8 million seats  

2. Cairo (CAI)–Jeddah (JED): 5.47 million seats  

3. Seoul (ICN)–Tokyo Narita (NRT): 5.4 million seats  

4. Kuala Lumpur (KUL)–Singapore (SIN): 5.38 million seats  

5. Seoul (ICN)–Osaka (KIX): 4.98 million seats  

6. Dubai (DXB)–Riyadh (RUH): 4.3 million seats  

7. Bangkok (BKK)–Hong Kong (HKG): 4.2 million seats  

8. Jakarta (CGK)–Singapore (SIN): 4.07 million seats  

9. Bangkok (BKK)–Singapore (SIN): 4.03 million seats  

10. New York JFK–London Heathrow (LHR): 4.01 million seats  

 

These rankings provide a snapshot of global air travel trends, ‘signaling the regions and routes where leisure and business travelers are most likely to converge in 2025’ and beyond. Whether flying for work or pleasure, these routes are shaping the ‘post-pandemic aviation landscape’.