MEGAHUBS 2022

OAG Megahubs 2022 reveals the most connected airports in the world including:

• Top 50 Most Connected Airports (International)
• Top 25 Most Connected Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) Airports (International)
• Top 25 Most Connected US Airports (Domestic)
• Top 10 Most Connected Airports (International) by region: Europe, EMEA, North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific

In the post-Covid era, operations in the largest airports in the world have changed and slower recovery patterns have affected global connectivity. Combinations of flights and destinations which lead to connectivity at large airports in many instances have been radically changed. Some notable names are missing in 2022, in some parts of the world, while other airports have been elevated in the rankings as others have fallen.

Megahubs is created using OAG’s flight data platform, which contains the most comprehensive airline schedules, and global flight connections database in the world, to dynamically build connections and create unique rankings.

KEY GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS

What is the most connected airport in the world in 2022?

• Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) ranks #1 with a total of 66 international destinations served in August 2022.

How does the data compare to 2019?

• On the busiest day at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) there were 43,350 possible connections within a six-hour window, compared to 65,294 in 2019.

Why does the US dominate the Top 20 most connected airports?

• In total, 13 of the Top 20 spots go to US airports.
• The top three global airport Megahubs are dominated by US carriers:

1. 1. United Airlines (46% of flights)
   2. American Airlines (85%)
   3. Delta Air Lines (77%)

• This combination of fewer international destinations but a strong domestic aviation market has enabled US airports to dominate the Megahubs this year, with the Top 7 places all going to US airports:

1. 1. Chicago O'Hare International
   2. Dallas/Ft Worth International Airport
   3. Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International
   4. Seattle-Tacoma International
   5. Denver International
   6. Los Angeles International
   7. New York J F Kennedy International

What is the most connected non-US airport in the world?

• The highest ranked non-US Megahub is Mexico City Juarez International Airport (MEX), which is 8th, up from 15th place in 2019.
• Mexico kept its borders open through the pandemic and air services have almost recovered to pre-covid levels.
• Although the number of international destinations are only half what they were, the number of possible connections is only down by 16%, which has pushed MEX up the rankings and demonstrates the high level of connectivity being achieved from its operation.

What is the most connected airport outside the Americas?

• Delhi - Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) is the highest ranked airport outside of the Americas, placed 13th, with Tokyo Haneda International Airport (HND) just behind, and ranked 14th.

What is the most connected European airport?

• London Heathrow (LHR) is ranked highest in 22nd position, down from its #1 ranking in 2019.
• While LHR has maintained almost the same number of destinations served as it had in 2019, the number of possible connections on the busiest day has fallen by 40% as a result of schedule reductions which particularly affected high-frequency short-haul routes.
  
  

KEY LCC HIGHLIGHTS

• The dominant presence of IndiGo at Indian airports has propelled Delhi - Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) and Mumbai - Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) to 1st and 2nd place.
• Ranked 3rd is Denver International Airport (DEN) thanks to the strong presence of Southwest Airlines - although other low-cost carriers also operate to and from Denver, most notably Frontier Airlines.
• Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS) and Orlando International Airport (MCO) are ranked 4th and 5th respectively, and both are airports where Southwest Airlines has the dominant share of airline capacity.
• The other airports ranked in the Top 10 for low-cost connectivity are Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK), Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL), Mexico City Juarez Airport (MEX) and Fort Lauderdale International Airport (FLL).
• The highest ranked LCC airport Megahub in Europe is Istanbul Sabiha Gocken Airport (SAW) in 10th place, where Pegasus Airlines has a 66% share of capacity at the airport.
• The only other European airport in the Top 25 LCC Airport Megahubs is Barcelona (BCN) which is ranked 12th.
  
  

As the United States is currently the largest domestic aviation market in the world, we have included the Top 25 US Domestic Airport Megahubs. These airports are those with the highest ratio of possible scheduled connections to the number of destinations served by that airport.

KEY US HIGHLIGHTS

• Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) is ranked 1st among the US Domestic Airport Megahubs, the same position it held in 2019.
• 24 of the Top 25 Megahubs remain the same as in 2019, although their positions in the rankings have changed - this is unsurprising given the strength of the recovery in the US domestic market, which means that airports have generally been able to maintain a similar level of service to their pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
• Placed 2nd is Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL), the same as in 2019, and ranked 3rd is Dallas Ft Worth International Airport (DFW), also the same as in 2019.
• Movement in the rankings may be attributable to a particularly strong performance in leisure markets, with airports such as Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS) and Honolulu Airport (HNL) moving up the rankings.
• Airports less associated with leisure travel have moved down the rankings, such as:
  • Detroit Metropolitan Wayne Country Airport (DTW) which moves down to 11th place (from 6th in 2019)
  • Minneapolis/St Paul International Airport (MSP) which moves down to 12th place (from 7th in 2019)
  • Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH) which moves down to 17th place (from 9th in 2019)
• The dominant airline at 20 of the Top 25 airports is one of five US legacy carriers, but four of the airports have low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines with the largest market share, and one has JetBlue as the major airline, showing just how much potential there is for low-cost connectivity.

KEY REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS:

• The Top 10 North American Megahubs achieve the highest average international connectivity index of any region.
• Asia Pacific has seen a significant change to its Top 10 Airport Megahubs:
  
  • Hong Kong did not make it into the Top 50 and so does not feature among the Top 10 Megahubs in Asia Pacific - by contrast, in 2019 Hong Kong was in second place in the Top 10 Asia Pacific Megahubs
  • Singapore ranks 12th in Asia Pacific and therefore falls just outside the Top 10 Megahubs – in 2019 Singapore was in second place in the Top 10 Asia Pacific Megahubs
  • Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) are ranked 8th and 7th respectively in 2022
• In Europe, London Heathrow Airport (LHR) remains in 1st position while Athens (ATH), Sabiha Gocken (SAW) and Barcelona (BCN), move into the Top 10, having been ranked lower than 10 in 2019.
• In the Middle East and Africa, Johannesburg Airport (JNB) has slipped out of the rankings, but Dubai (DXB) retains its number 1 position.
• Unsurprisingly, Mexico (MEX) remains the top-ranked airport Megahub in Latin America, and Cancun (CUN) also makes it into the Top 5 Megahubs in the region, while Panama City (PTY) drops out.