TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Official Aviation Guide of the Airways (OAG, 國際航空情報公司) unveiled its 2024 report on the world's busiest international airline routes on Tuesday (Dec. 17), revealing the Hong Kong-Taipei route as the leader with a passenger volume of 6.78 million. While the Asia-Pacific region dominates the top 10 busiest routes globally, CNBC reported that most have not returned to their 2019 levels.
The Cairo-Jeddah route ranked second with 5.5 million passengers, marking a 62% increase from 2019. In third place, the Seoul Incheon-Tokyo Narita route saw a remarkable 68% growth compared to pre-pandemic levels. John Grant, OAG's Chief Analyst, noted the slow recovery of the Chinese market, which has led airlines to allocate aircraft to other destinations, with Japan emerging as a popular choice.
The Kuala Lumpur-Singapore route, the busiest in 2023, fell to fourth, with a passenger volume 3% below 2019 figures. The Bangkok-Hong Kong route, ranked seventh, experienced a 13% decrease compared to pre-pandemic numbers. The New York JFK-London Heathrow route, the only North American and European route in the top 10, grew by 3% last year, reaching 4 million passengers.
In Latin America, the Orlando, Florida-San Juan, Puerto Rico route led with 2.3 million passengers. Meanwhile, South Korea's domestic route connecting Seoul and Jeju Island topped global domestic routes with 14.2 million passengers. China's busiest domestic route linked Beijing and Shanghai with approximately 7.7 million passengers, slightly surpassing the Guangzhou-Shanghai route's 7 million.
