Air travel data company OAG has revealed the Busiest Routes in the World – based on operating flight volume which includes insight into on-time performance (OTP) and carrier frequency at the route level domestically and internationally.
Data found that eight of the top 10 busiest long-haul routes in the world originate from North America. With 15,587 flights over 12 months, service between New York (JFK) and San Francisco (SFO) topped the long-haul list (73.7 per cent OTP), followed closely by New York (JFK) to London Heathrow (LHR) with 14,194 operating flights (78.2 per cent OTP).
Honolulu (HNL) to Los Angeles (LAX), Newark (EWR) to San Francisco (SFO) and Boston (BOS) to LAX round out the top five for the global long-haul category.
OAG senior analyst, John Grant said: “The fight for market share intensifies on these high frequency, highly competitive long-haul routes.
“Maximizing capacity and connectivity, and investing in OTP and a frictionless traveller experience, is key for airlines and airports looking to attract passengers and grow their share in these markets.”
The short-haul flight between LAX and SFO is the busiest domestic route in North America, and the ninth busiest domestic route in the world, with 35,365 total annual operating flights (OTP 71.2 per cent).
The medium-haul trip from JFK to LAX and back operates 26,286 total flights annually (79.9 per cent OTP) and is the second busiest domestic route in North America and 20th busiest domestic route overall.
Two other routes originating from the US are among the world’s busiest medium-haul flights, including LAX to Seattle (SEA), with 19,778 flights and 80.1 per cent OTP, and LAX to Chicago (ORD), with 16,612 flights and 78 per cent OTP.
Globally, the busiest airports overall lie in the Asia-Pacific region. The route from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Singapore (SIN) is the busiest international route in the world, and operates over 30,000 flights annually, followed by Hong Kong (HKG) to Taipei (TPE), with 28,447 total operating flights.
