Busiest flight routes in the world

Busiest airline routes at a glance

• The busiest domestic airline route: Sapporo New Chitose (CTS) to Tokyo Haneda (HND)
• The busiest international route: Hong Kong (HKG) to Taipei (TPE)
• China's busiest domestic route: Beijing (PEK) to Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA)
• USA's busiest domestic route: Los Angeles (LAX) to San Francisco (SFO)

Busiest domestic airline routes

Key points

• The Busiest Domestic Route in June 2026 shifts to Japan, with Sapporo New Chitose (CTS) to Tokyo Haneda (HND) taking the top spot with 1.01 million seats, representing a 2% increase compared with June 2025.

• South Korea’s Jeju International (CJU) to Seoul Gimpo (GMP) falls to second place with 998k seats, recording the largest decline in the top ten at 13% year-on-year.

• Vietnam’s Hanoi (HAN) to Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) ranks third with 973k seats, posting strong growth of 9%, the highest increase among the leading routes.

• Japan’s Fukuoka (FUK) to Tokyo Haneda (HND) remains in fourth place with 923k seats, with capacity broadly unchanged compared to last year, while Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah (JED) to Riyadh (RUH) completes the top five with 841k seats, growing by 7%.

• Further down the rankings, Australia’s Melbourne (MEL) to Sydney (SYD) records a 5% decline to 704k seats and ranks sixth.

• China is represented by two routes in the top ten, with Beijing (PEK) to Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA) growing 3% to 628k seats in ninth place, while Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA) to Shenzhen (SZX) records a strong 7% increase to 619k seats, making it one of the fastest-growing routes among the top ten.

China’s top 10 busiest domestic airline routes

Key points

• Beijing (PEK) to Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA) remains China’s busiest domestic route in June 2026, offering 628k seats and recording modest growth of 3% compared with June 2025.

• Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA) to Shenzhen (SZX) retains second place with 619k seats, increasing capacity by 7% year-on-year.

• Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) to Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA) ranks third with 577k seats and records the strongest growth among the top three routes, rising 11% compared with last year.

• Beijing (PEK) to Shenzhen (SZX) follows in fourth place with 428k seats, although capacity declines by 6%, while Hangzhou (HGH) to Shenzhen (SZX) completes the top five with 383k seats, posting solid growth of 8%.

• Further down the rankings, Chengdu (CTU) to Beijing (PEK) records a slight decline of 2% to 381k seats and ranks sixth.

• Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) to Hangzhou (HGH) remains broadly stable in seventh place with 367k seats, up 1% year-on-year. Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) to Beijing Daxing (PKX) posts strong growth of 9% to reach 364k seats and ranks eighth.

• In contrast, Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) to Beijing (PEK) records the steepest decline in the top ten, falling 16% to 312k seats in ninth place.

• Chengdu (CTU) to Shenzhen (SZX) rounds out the top ten with 287k seats, down 2% compared with June 2025.

USA’s top 10 busiest domestic airline routes

Key points

• Los Angeles (LAX) to San Francisco (SFO) becomes the USA’s busiest domestic route in June 2026, offering 329k seats and recording strong growth of 21% compared with June 2025.

• New York La Guardia (LGA) to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) ranks second with 311k seats, increasing by 6% year-on-year, while New York JFK (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX) follows in third place with 296k seats, remaining virtually unchanged compared with last year.

• Honolulu (HNL) to Los Angeles (LAX) moves into fourth place with 254k seats, posting modest growth of 2%, while Atlanta (ATL) to Orlando (MCO) completes the top five with 254k seats, despite a 9% decline in capacity year-on-year.

• Further down the rankings, Los Angeles (LAX) to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) records a 6% decline to 252k seats and ranks sixth. Boston (BOS) to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) posts one of the strongest growth rates among the top ten, rising 19% to 241k seats and moving into seventh place. Chicago O’Hare (ORD) to San Francisco (SFO) also shows healthy growth, increasing 9% to 231k seats in eighth position.

• Denver (DEN) to Phoenix (PHX) and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) round out the top ten, both growing by 5% to reach 231k and 223k seats respectively.

  
  positive momentum, growing 6% year-on-year to 234k seats.

Busiest international airline routes

Key points

• Hong Kong (HKG) to Taipei (TPE) regains its position as the World’s Busiest International route in June 2026, offering 528k seats despite a modest 2% decline compared with June 2025.

• Seoul Incheon (ICN) to Tokyo Narita (NRT) ranks second with 486k seats and records the strongest growth among the top routes, increasing by 24% year-on-year.

• Cairo (CAI) to Jeddah (JED) moves into third place with 449k seats, although capacity falls by 8% compared with last year.

• Seoul Incheon (ICN) to Osaka Kansai (KIX) ranks fourth with 445k seats, posting solid growth of 12%, while Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Singapore Changi (SIN) completes the top five with 421k seats, declining by 12% year-on-year.

• The remainder of the top 10 international routes present a mixed performance. Jakarta (CGK) to Singapore Changi (SIN) ranks sixth with 383k seats, down 2% compared with June 2025.

• Tokyo Narita (NRT) to Taipei (TPE) remains one of the leading Asia-Pacific international markets, increasing by 3% to 338k seats in seventh place. Cairo (CAI) to Riyadh (RUH) records healthy growth of 9% to 331k seats and ranks eighth.

• New York JFK (JFK) to London Heathrow (LHR) is the only transatlantic route in the top 10, ranking ninth with 322k seats, although capacity declines by 10% year-on-year.

• Fukuoka (FUK) to Seoul Incheon (ICN) rounds out the top ten with 322k seats, growing by 3% compared with last year.

Ranking methodology

The busiest air routes are defined as those with the largest volume of scheduled airline seats in the current calendar month. Data is for flights in both directions on each route and is sourced from OAG Schedules Analyser in the first week of each month. The data reflects the most recent full calendar month for the busiest scheduled domestic and international aviation routes in each category.

For May 2026, routes in the Middle East have been excluded from these tables due to outbreak of war in late February which has disrupted airline schedules significantly