Istanbul Overtakes London Heathrow as World’s Most Connected Airport

Istanbul Airport is now the world's most connected, surpassing London Heathrow. OAG's Megahubs Index ranks airports by flight connections, with Istanbul leading due to Turkish Airlines' extensive network.

Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) has actually seen both capacity and locations grow, declaring third setting, while Kuala Lumpur keeps 4th setting– regardless of possible links falling a little since in 2015, destinations offered have increased from 151 to 154.

Understanding Airport Connectivity Rankings

London Heathrow has actually formally been overtaken by Istanbul, which has actually become the most linked airport terminal worldwide for the very first time. As a result of links to 337 worldwide destinations– numerous serviced by Turkish Airline companies, the globe’s best-connected airline– the eighth-busiest flight terminal around the world works as a gateway to much of the globe.

Ascertaining the world’s most linked airport terminals is a mammoth task. To do so, trip data specialists at OAG evaluate data from the 100 biggest international flight terminals over a 12-month period and calculate the variety of feasible connections between incoming and outbound flights within a six-hour window.

Factors Affecting Airport Rankings

London Heathrow just slides by one area to 2nd, with possible links on the busiest day of procedures in between September 2025 and August 2026 falling by six per cent compared to the year prior to. Center East schedules have undoubtedly affected Heathrow’s setting, with Istanbul typically serving as an alternative to centers that experienced flight cancellations and hold-ups as the problem continued.

OAG Megahubs Index Categories

Each year, the OAG Megahubs Index exposes the best-connected airport terminals around the globe, disclosing the streamlined aviation hubs are best for getting us on our merry method– whether that’s on a fly-and-flop resort keep or someplace completely more specific niche and intrepid.

Flight terminal connectivity is assessed throughout different categories: Leading 50 Many Linked Airports; Leading 25 The Majority Of Attached Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) Airport Terminals; Top 25 The Majority Of Connected US Airports; Leading 10 Most Attached Airport Terminals (International) by area.

In 2025, London Heathrow (LHR) retained its title as the globe’s most connected airport terminal for the third successive year, with greater than 59,000 links to 226 destinations on the busiest day of procedures. Istanbul Airport Terminal (IST) saw among the best rises from 8th position in 2024 to 2nd in 2025, while Kuala Lumpur (KUL) was the best-connected Oriental airport terminal, in joint 4th place globally with Frankfurt (FRA).