New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) jumped 16 spots from 2019 to rank No. 2 globally among internationally connected airports, according to OAG’s Megahubs 2023 report on the Top 50 most internationally connected airports in the world and the Top 25 most domestically connected airports in the US. Among the Global Top 20 in the US, JFK is followed by Chicago O’Hare at No. 10 and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, the world’s busiest airport, at No. 14.
Outside the US, London Heathrow Airport reclaimed the top spot as the world’s No. 1 most internationally connected airport. Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur International Airport ranks No. 4 and is one of seven airports in Asia-Pacific appearing in the Global Top 20, indicating a path toward recovery in the region. Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam is No. 3.
John Grant, chief analyst at OAG, said that with American Airlines and Delta Air Lines adding new destinations out of New York, along with Air Senegal, Air New Zealand and others having launched or reopened previously served routes, “it’s no surprise JFK exceeded expectations to climb to No. 2 in the world.” He said the resurgence of key international hubs signals a strong representation for North American Megahubs and “is also indicative of ongoing recovery across regions as global capacity has rebounded to approximately 98% of pre-pandemic levels.”
In the Top 25 US Domestic Megahubs rankings, O’Hare ranks No. 1, followed by Atlanta, Denver International Airport, Dallas Fort-Worth International Airport, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Los Angeles.
Legacy carriers retain the majority of flights at 20 of the Top 25 US airports, with United Airlines holding 48% of flights at O’Hare, and Delta owning 75% at Atlanta. Low-cost carriers are increasingly gaining ground. Southwest Airlines holds the largest share of flights at four of the Top 25, including Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport, Chicago Midway International Airport, Dallas Love Field Airport and Baltimore/Washington International Airport.
The OAG Megahubs Index is generated by comparing the number of scheduled connections to and from international flights with the number of destinations served from the airport. Megahubs is created using OAG’s flight data platform, which contains comprehensive airline schedules and a global flight connections database.
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