BUSIEST FLIGHT ROUTES IN THE WORLD

View and interrogate OAG’s ever-popular Busiest Airline Routes whenever you need as they evolve and change over time, regularly providing updates on the busiest flight routes in the world. These include the Top 10 Busiest Global Airline Routes, Top 10 Domestic Airline Routes and International Airline Routes by region. Our flight routes data is powered by Schedules Analyser.

Find extensive flight data and analysis for domestic and international airline routes below and discover the busiest air routes in the area of your choice.

• The busiest domestic airline route: Jeju International (CJU) to Seoul Gimpo (GMP) 
• The busiest international route: Hong Kong (HKG) to Taipei (TPE) 
• China's busiest domestic route: Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA) to Shenzhen (SZX)
• USA's busiest domestic route: New York (JFK) and Los Angeles (LAX)

KEY POINTS

• The world's busiest domestic airline route in January 2026 continues to be South Korea’s Jeju International (CJU) to Seoul Gimpo (GMP) with 1.25 million seats, marking a 17% increase in capacity compared to January 2025.
• In second place is Vietnam’s Hanoi (HAN) to Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) route with 1.10 million seats, an impressive 18% year-on-year increase in airline capacity. 
• Japan’s Sapporo New Chitose (CTS) to Tokyo Haneda (HND) ranks third with 1.06 million seats, a modest 4% year-on-year airline capacity increase. 
• Close behind, Fukuoka (FUK) to Tokyo Haneda (HND) is in fourth place with just over 1.0 million seats, showing steady growth of 2%.
• Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah (JED) to Riyadh (RUH) moves into fifth place with 894k seats, growing by 17% and continuing its strong upward trend.
• In ninth place, China’s Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA) to Shenzhen (SZX) stands out as the fastest-growing route in the Top 10, with airline capacity surging 27% year-on-year to 652k seats, highlighting renewed momentum in China’s domestic market.

KEY POINTS

• Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA) to Shenzhen (SZX) remains China’s busiest domestic route in January 2026 with 652k seats, marking a very strong 27% increase in airline capacity compared to January 2025.
• Beijing (PEK) to Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA) is China's second busiest route, with 641k seats and a robust 7% year-on-year increase in airline capacity, while Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) to Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA) ranks in third place with 570k seats, up 10% compared to January 2025. 
• As in previous months, all of the top three routes involve Shanghai Hongqiao Airport (SHA), underlining its continued central role in China’s domestic network.
  
  
• Growth is also evident further down the rankings. Beijing (PEK) to Shenzhen (SZX) ranks in fourth place, with airline capacity increasing by 10% year-on-year, while Hangzhou (HGH) to Shenzhen (SZX) in fifth place stands out as one of the strongest performers in the Top 10, growing by 20% to 388k seats.
• By contrast, several routes record a decline in airline capacity in January 2026. Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) to Hangzhou (HGH) in sixth place is down 6% year-on-year, Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) to Beijing Daxing (PKX) is in ninth place with a 1% decline, and the sharpest contraction is on Chengdu (CTU) to Shenzhen (SZX), which falls 10% year-on-year.

KEY POINTS

• The transcontinental corridor between New York (JFK) and Los Angeles (LAX) remains the USA’s busiest domestic route in January 2026, with 286k seats - a strong 14% increase in airline capacity compared to January 2025.
• Atlanta (ATL) to Orlando (MCO) holds second place with 270k seats, recording modest year-on-year growth of 1%.
• In third place is Atlanta (ATL) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) with 268k seats, a 16% year-on-year increase in airline capacity, making it one of the fastest-growing routes in the Top 10.
  
  
• In contrast, Las Vegas (LAS) to Los Angeles (LAX) in fourth place has seen a decline in airline capacity of 8% year-on-year, while Denver (DEN) to Phoenix (PHX) in fifth place is down by 10%. Honolulu (HNL) to Kahului (OGG) in sixth place is down by 11%, highlighting ongoing softness in Hawaiian domestic travel. Los Angeles (LAX) to San Francisco (SFO) is in seventh place, with airline capacity down 9%.
  
  
• Airline capacity is increasing across several other major trunk routes. New York La Guardia (LGA) to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) ranks eighth, up 3%, while Atlanta (ATL) to New York La Guardia (LGA) is in ninth place with an 11% increase. Overall, eastern and transcontinental markets are driving growth, while western and Hawaiian routes face continued pressure.
  

KEY POINTS

• In January 2026, Hong Kong (HKG) to Taipei (TPE) remains the busiest international airline route globally with 552k seats, although capacity continues to decline, down 11% year-on-year. Cairo (CAI) to Jeddah (JED) retains second place with 523k seats, recording strong growth of 12%, while Seoul Incheon (ICN) to Tokyo Narita (NRT) moves into third place with 499k seats, up 9% compared to January 2025. Seoul Incheon (ICN) to Osaka Kansai (KIX) ranks fourth, also performing well with 476k seats and a 10% increase in airline capacity. Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Singapore Changi (SIN) sits in fifth place with 457k seats, showing a slight 3% decline year-on-year.
  
  
• The fastest-growing route in the Top 10 is Hong Kong (HKG) to Manila (MNL), in eighth place with 366k seats - an impressive 25% increase in airline capacity, reflecting strong recovery in Southeast Asia travel demand. Dubai (DXB) to Riyadh (RUH) ranks sixth, increasing slightly by 2%, while Jakarta (CGK) to Singapore Changi (SIN) is in seventh place, down 4%. Tokyo Narita (NRT) to Taipei (TPE) is in ninth place, largely flat with a 1% decline, and Bangkok (BKK) to Hong Kong (HKG) rounds out the Top 10, down 7%.
  
  
• Asia Pacific continues to dominate the global international rankings, accounting for seven of the Top 10 busiest routes, with the Middle East contributing two routes (Cairo–Jeddah and Dubai–Riyadh). Hong Kong (HKG) again appears three times in the Top 10, more than any other airport, followed by Seoul Incheon (ICN), Tokyo Narita (NRT), Singapore Changi (SIN), and Taipei (TPE), each featuring twice.
  

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.