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Which international flight route received most traffic in 2023?

Travel intelligence company OAG releases its annual listing of world’s busiest international flight

By Web Desk
Published December 22, 2023
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This representational picture shows an aeroplane in flight. — Unsplash/File
This representational picture shows an aeroplane in flight. — Unsplash/File

Travelling gives you an addicting sense, which is why so many people adore it and despite there being many ways for people to travel, flying is the most popular option, which leads to traffic-stricken flight routes most of the time, particularly during the holidays.

However, can you guess which flight route received the most traffic this year?

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Travel intelligence company OAG recently released its annual listing of the world’s busiest international flight routes based on the number of tickets sold on flights in 2023, CNN reported.

Three of the top 10 routes involve going to Singapore: connecting with Bangkok (in eighth place), Jakarta (landing in seventh) and Kuala Lumpur (at the very top of the list).

The busiest route had 4.9 million seats booked overall, connecting Singapore with the capital of Malaysia. The short one-hour journey is well-liked by commuters who would rather fly than drive between the two nearby countries.

Most of the top 10 busiest routes are in Asia and the Middle East, except for the New York-London route. The JFK to Heathrow trip was the only route with increased total capacity from 2019.

Asia leads the ranking of busiest domestic air routes, with Japan at the front.

A mountainous area with residential homes in Okinawa, Japan. — AFP/File
A mountainous area with residential homes in Okinawa, Japan. — AFP/File

Flights connecting Tokyo with popular vacation destinations like Fukuoka (a major foodie hub and gateway to South Korea), Sapporo (beloved for winter sports), and Okinawa (known as the Hawaii of Japan) are in second, third, and seventh place, respectively.

Major cities in larger countries like China (Beijing and Shanghai) and Australia (Melbourne and Sydney) also have some of the busiest routes.

Top 10 busiest international flight routes of 2023

  1. Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Singapore (SIN)
  2. Cairo (CAI) to Jeddah (JED)
  3. Hong Kong (HKG) to Taipei (TPE)
  4. Seoul Incheon (ICN) - Osaka Kansai (KIX)
  5. Seoul Incheon (ICN) - Tokyo Narita (NRT)
  6. Dubai (DXB) - Riyadh (RUH)
  7. Jakarta (CGK) - Singapore (SIN)
  8. New York Kennedy (JFK) - London Heathrow (LHR)
  9. Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK) - Singapore (SIN)
  10. Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK) - Seoul Incheon (ICN)
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