Data on the most well-connected airports has finally been released, revealing that the busiest airports are not always the most well-connected.
As we embark into a new year, reviewing what occurred last year is essential. For most airlines, 2022 presented unique challenges as they grappled with growing demand while inhibited by reduced capacity. Most of these airlines adapted quickly to the growing demand, but at the same time, great effort was also put forth to ensure operations ran smoothly by airports. While this past year saw many airlines reach near pre-pandemic levels, so did many airports.
The aviation analytics team at Cirium recently released a report entailing the top 20 most connected airports. The list is composed of data gathered from airports around the world which shows how many connections to other airports each airport offered in 2022. While these are all busy airports, the data does not directly reflect which airports were the busiest, just which connected passengers to the most destinations. The data also does not directly reflect the connectivity of a given city, as many cities have multiple airports.
1/20 Frankfurt Airport
Germany’s Frankfurt Airport managed to secure the number one spot on this list as it offered connections to 330 airports across the globe this past year. Dozens of airlines fly to the world’s most connected airport every year. Notably, the airport is a hub for the German air carrier Lufthansa which makes up a significant portion of the airport’s traffic. The airport’s top route was to London Heathrow, with 100 weekly flights.
2/20 Istanbul Airport
Trailing closely behind Frankfurt Airport is Istanbul Airport, which offered a connection to 309 airports around the world last year. For centuries, Istanbul has been a crossroads for trade and transportation between the East and the West. Today, it continues to serve as a vital connection for trade and transportation even as transportation technology improves. The airport that it offers the most connections to is Iran’s Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport.
3/20 Charles de Gaulle Airport
Paris’s Charles de Gaulle Airport took bronze last year as it connected passengers with 308 airports. The airport serves as an essential connection within Europe while also connecting passengers to other continents. France’s flagship carrier Air France is one of the largest operators at the airport.
4/20 Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
Another large European airport, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, connected its passengers with 293 airports in 2022. This is another airport that provides a vital connection between Europe and other continents. One hundred twenty weekly flights connect Schiphol with London Heathrow as this is the most frequently flown route from the airport.
5/20 O’Hare International Airport
In fifth place comes Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. The Midwestern airport offers connections across North America and to other continents. The airport is also the home of the third-largest airline, United Airlines. Between various airlines, passengers were able to connect to 278 different airports from O’Hare this past year.
6/20 Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
The home turf of the largest airline in the world, American Airlines, took sixth place in last year’s connectivity tournament. The airport offered connections to 269 airports throughout the year. No doubt, a formidable score, but far from sufficient to take the top spot. One hundred nineteen flights per week are operated from this airport to La Guardia International Airport, making it the most popular route from Dallas.
7/20 Dubai Airport
Dubai is another centuries-old trade center that made this list. Last year Dubai Airport, home of the famous airline Emirates, serviced flights to 262 airports worldwide. Emirates is responsible for many of these connections as it utilizes Dubai as a central connecting hub in its operations.
8/20 London Heathrow Airport
In 2022 London’s largest airport, London Heathrow, serviced connecting flights to 242 airports. This is an awe-inspiring feat considering London is serviced by several large international airports. The airport serves as the central hub for British Airways. While many other airlines operate to and from Heathrow, British Airways makes up a large portion of the flight offerings from the airport.
9/20 Leonardo da Vinci International Airport
Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci International Airport came in ninth place this year as it connected to 239 airports. The Mediterranean hub continues to be a vital link between neighboring cities, countries, and continents. The airport offers 94 weekly flights to Milan Linate Airport, making it the most frequented route for the airport.
10/20 Denver International Airport
Coming in at number 10 is Denver International Airport. This centrally located airport acts as an essential connection between US cities. It also offers numerous international destinations. The airport provides connections to 226 other airports. Denver serves as a hub for Southwest, Frontier, United, and SkyWest, providing the airport with many connections.
11/20 Vienna International Airport
Kicking off the second half of this list is Austria’s Vienna International Airport. The large airport, home to the country’s flag carrier Austrian Airlines, offers connections to 221 airports worldwide. The busiest of these connections is the route between Vienna and Frankfurt, which is flown 74 times per week,
12/20 Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Georgia’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport took 12th place in last year’s connectivity tournament. The airport offered connections to 220 airports last year. This may seem surprising to many as the airport, the hub of the world’s second-largest airline, Delta Air Lines, is the busiest airport in the world.
13/20 Munich Airport
Munich’s Franz Josef Straus Airport is the second German airport to make this list. While it falls short of Frankfurt’s numbers, Munich Airport boasted an impressive 216 airport connections last year. Munich also serves as a major hub for Lufthansa.
14/20 Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport
Spain’s Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport trailed closely behind Munich, offering connections to 214 airports. The busiest route from this airport connects it with Spain’s Palma de Mallorca Airport. This route is operated 137 times per week.
15/20 London Gatwick Airport
Despite London’s best efforts to win last year’s connectivity tournament by entering multiple candidates, it still fell short of the gold. London Gatwick tied for 15th place last year as it offered connections to 213 destinations. Like other London airports, Gatwick is home to many airlines and serves as a hub for British Airways, Wizz Air, easyJet, and others.
16/20 George Bush Intercontinental Airport
Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport tied with London Gatwick for 15th place as it also had connections to 213 other airports. This Southern Texas airport is an essential connection between US cities and Latin America. The busiest route from this airport is a short-haul flight connecting it with Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. The route is operated 98 times per week.
17/20 Barcelona-El Prat Airport
Last year’s connectivity tournament yielded not one but two ties. Spain’s second entry Barcelona-El Prat Airport, took 17th place last year as it offered connections to 210 destinations. The busiest of these destinations is Palma de Mallorca Airport. Barcelona tops Madrid by one point in this category as it operates 138 weekly flights to Palma de Mallorca Airport.
18/20 Manchester Airport
Tied for 17th place is Manchester Airport, the UK’s third airport to make the leaderboard. Like Barcelona-El Prat Airport, Manchester offered 210 destinations in 2022. The busiest route from Manchester is to Dublin Airport. Aer Lingus primarily operates this route.
Falling just shy of creating a three-way tie is London Stansted Airport which offered connections to 209 airports. While London may not have won gold, it undoubtedly had more representation on the leaderboard than any other city.
20/20 Zurich Airport
At the bottom of the leaderboard is Switzerland’s Zurich Airport. This airport offered 205 connections in 2022. The airport is home to the country’s national carrier SWISS. While it may have come in last on the chart, it offers far more connections than the vast majority of other airports worldwide.
