Dublin to London was the 24th busiest international route in 2024 with 2,355,104 seats, according to data from OAG.
In 2024, the Hong Kong-Taipei route emerged as the world’s busiest international route with 6.8m seats, up 48pc on last year, but still down 15pc on pre-pandemic 2019.
Cairo-Jeddah was second with 5.5m seats, and Seoul Incheon – Tokyo Narita in third with 5.4m.
The Asia-Pacific region dominated international air traffic, with seven out of the top ten routes located. New York JFK-Heathrow in tenth position was the busiest trans-Atlantic with just over fourm seats.
The growth of low-cost airlines is reshaping supply dynamics on major routes, contrasting with the slower recovery of legacy carriers.
Emerging markets in the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia, are experiencing increased airline demand driven by the Vision 2030 initiative, further diversifying global travel patterns.
Jeju International – Seoul Gimpo was once again busiest domestic route with 14.2m seats, followed by Sapporo New Chitose – Tokyo Haneda (11.9m seats) and Fukuoka – Tokyo Haneda (11.3m)
OAG’s chief analyst, John Grant, shared: “One of the most interesting developments is the growth in regional Middle East markets with a particular emphasis on Saudi Arabia, where the Vision 2030 project continues to drive both business and leisure demand. With the ASPAC region very close to a full recovery, the busiest routes are concentrated in the familiar major hubs of Hong Kong, Seoul Incheon and Singapore, although the composition of the supply on those routes is changing as the low-cost sector continues its growth at a faster rate than legacy.”
