Istanbul Airport Tops the World’s Connectivity Ranking
London Heathrow falls to second as Amsterdam Schiphol moves into third place.
Istanbul Airport is now the world’s most connected airport, according to the 2026 OAG Megahubs Index. It links travelers with 337 destinations, many served by Turkish Airlines, and takes the top spot from London Heathrow for the first time.
Heathrow placed second after its possible connections on the busiest operating day dropped 6% from the previous year. The airport’s position was affected by Middle East flight schedules, while Istanbul became an alternative for routes disrupted by cancellations and delays. Amsterdam Schiphol rose to third as both its capacity and destination list expanded. Kuala Lumpur held fourth place, with destinations served increasing from 151 to 154 despite a small decline in possible connections.
OAG builds the ranking from flight data covering the 100 largest international airports over 12 months. It counts potential links between arriving and departing flights within six hours, then compares those connections with the destinations each airport serves. In the United States, Chicago O’Hare, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, Dallas Fort Worth, Denver International and Charlotte again made up the top five.
- Istanbul ranked first globally for the first time.
- Heathrow’s possible connections declined 6%.
- Kuala Lumpur serves 154 destinations.
- OAG examines a 12-month period.
Summarized from the reporting above. Read it for the full story.
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