The Most Traveled Flight Routes Worldwide

This autumn, international air travel has reached 98.2 percent of its pre-pandemic levels, according to the latest figures from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Essentially, people around the globe are traveling with nearly the same enthusiasm as in 2019.

“Every day, we see progress in the recovery, and by the end of 2024, we expect to return to 2019 levels,” says John Grant, chief analyst at the global travel industry data provider OAG, in an interview with Dinogo.

This resurgence in international travel has made the skies busy once more. So, where is everyone headed? On December 20, OAG revealed the flight routes with the highest passenger counts this year (based on the number of seats flown). The 2023 list “features many of the familiar airport pairs that were popular before the pandemic,” notes Grant. However, there are also some significant changes.

The busiest international airline route in 2023 is from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Singapore Changi with 4.9 million seats, a route that ranked second four years ago.

Understanding which flight routes are most popular goes beyond mere curiosity; it can significantly benefit travelers in various ways. For example, when searching for budget-friendly airfares, routes with higher service frequency tend to be more competitive, leading to better prices. By focusing your search on these high-traffic routes, you may discover lower fares for your journey. If you're planning a trip to Europe, consider combining a flight between JFK and Heathrow—one of the top 10 busiest routes—with shorter flights on either side of the Atlantic.

The Most Traveled Airline Routes of 2023

1. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (KUL) to Singapore Changi (SIN): 4.9 million seats
2. Cairo, Egypt (CAI) to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (JED): 4.8 million seats
3. Hong Kong (HKG) to Taipei, Taiwan (TPE): 4.6 million seats
4. Seoul Incheon, Korea (ICN) to Osaka Kansai, Japan (KIX): 4.2 million seats
5. Seoul Incheon (ICN) to Tokyo Narita, Japan (NRT): 4.15 million seats
6. Dubai, UAE (DBX) to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (RUH): 3.99 million seats
7. Jakarta, Indonesia (CGK) to Singapore Changi (SIN): 3.9 million seats
8. New York City (JFK) to London Heathrow (LHR): 3.88 million seats
9. Bangkok, Thailand (BKK) to Singapore Changi (SIN): million seats
10. Bangkok (BKK) to Seoul Incheon (ICN): 3.4 million seats
    

In 2019, the route from Hong Kong to Taipei was the most popular, followed by Kuala Lumpur to Singapore in second place, and Jakarta to Singapore in third. Notably, half of the routes listed in the current top 10 were absent from the 2019 rankings, including routes from Cairo to Jeddah, Seoul to Osaka, Seoul to Tokyo, Dubai to Riyadh, and Bangkok to Seoul.

Grant mentions that further changes are expected in 2024. “We anticipate the return of Chinese international travelers, which will be a significant boost for key tourism markets in Southeast Asia, inevitably increasing traffic,” he states.

He further adds that in North America, “there is hope for traffic to Northeast Asia to recover, with destinations like China, Japan, and South Korea expected to benefit.”

Regarding domestic travel, OAG analyzed which flight routes were most prominent within the United States. Here’s what they discovered.

The most traveled flight routes in the United States for 2023

In terms of domestic travel within the U.S., flights connecting popular Hawaiian islands and major hubs such as Atlanta, Orlando, New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, and Las Vegas topped the charts. Here’s a look at the U.S. routes that recorded the highest number of passenger seats in 2023.

1. Honolulu, Hawai‘i (HNL) to Kahului, Maui (OGG): 3.6 million seats
2. Atlanta (ATL) to Orlando (MCO): 2 million seats
3. Las Vegas (LAS) to Los Angeles (LAX): 3.49 million seats
4. New York City (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX): 3.24 million seats
5. Denver (DEN) to Las Vegas (LAS): 3.19 million seats
6. Los Angeles (LAX) to San Francisco (SFO): 3.13 million seats
7. Atlanta (ATL) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL): 3.05 million seats
8. Denver (DEN) to Phoenix (PHX): 3.04 million seats
9. Atlanta (ATL) to New York LaGuardia (LGA): 2.7 million seats
10. Los Angeles (LAX) to Chicago O’Hare (ORD): 2.67 million seats

Notably, the route from Honolulu to Kahului, which ranked first this year, was not listed among the top 10 busiest domestic routes in 2019 and held the third position in 2022. Similarly, the routes from Denver to Las Vegas and Denver to Phoenix were absent from the 2019 rankings, when Los Angeles to San Francisco was the busiest route in the U.S.