Asian Aviation Dominates Global Flight Traffic in Early 2026
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) projects a record-breaking year for air travel in 2026. International airlines are expected to transport 5.2 billion passengers globally. This forecast represents a 4.9 percent year-over-year increase in passenger traffic.
Asia-Pacific airlines are leading this surge with a robust growth rate of 7.3 percent. This strong performance is clearly reflected in the latest data on the world's busiest flight routes.
Top 10 Busiest International Routes: An Asian Stronghold
Data from the Official Airline Guide (OAG) for January 2026 reveals Asia's commanding position in global aviation. The region claims eight out of the ten busiest international flight paths.
Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) features prominently, appearing three times in the top ten list. No other airport achieves this frequency.
The route from Hong Kong to Taipei (TPE) retains its crown as the world's busiest international airline route. It offered over 552,000 seats in January 2026.
Another Hong Kong route, connecting to Manila (MNL), shows remarkable growth. It holds eighth place with 366,000 seats. This route experienced a 25 percent increase in airline capacity, making it the fastest-growing in the top ten.
Middle Eastern and Other Key Routes
The Middle East also secures significant positions. The Cairo (CAI) to Jeddah (JED) route maintains second place globally. It recorded over 522,000 seats and a strong 12 percent growth.
Close behind, the Dubai (DXB) to Riyadh (RUH) route occupies the sixth spot with 395,160 seats.
In Northeast Asia, the Seoul Incheon (ICN) to Tokyo Narita (NRT) route moved into third place. It offered nearly 499,000 seats, marking a nine percent increase.
The complete top ten list for January 2026 is as follows:
- Hong Kong (HKG) → Taipei (TPE) – 552,387 seats
- Cairo (CAI) → Jeddah (JED) – 522,615 seats
- Seoul Incheon (ICN) → Tokyo Narita (NRT) – 498,840 seats
- Seoul Incheon (ICN) → Osaka Kansai (KIX) – 475,973 seats
- Kuala Lumpur (KUL) → Singapore (SIN) – 456,692 seats
- Dubai (DXB) → Riyadh (RUH) – 395,160 seats
- Jakarta (CGK) → Singapore (SIN) – 392,640 seats
- Hong Kong (HKG) → Manila (MNL) – 365,649 seats
- Tokyo Narita (NRT) → Taipei (TPE) – 352,552 seats
- Bangkok (BKK) → Hong Kong (HKG) – 346,277 seats
India's Mumbai-Delhi Corridor Shines in Domestic Rankings
Shifting focus to domestic travel, Indian aviation makes a notable mark. The Mumbai to Delhi air route (BOM-DEL) ranks as the sixth busiest domestic flight path in the world for January 2026.
This vital Indian corridor carried 704,747 passengers during the month. It stands as the busiest flight route within India.
The global top ten for domestic routes is led by Asian connections:
- Jeju to Seoul Gimpo (South Korea) – 1.25 million seats
- Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) – 1.1 million seats
- Sapporo to Tokyo Haneda (Japan) – 1.06 million seats
- Fukuoka to Tokyo Haneda (Japan) – 1.01 million seats
- Jeddah to Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) – 893,510 seats
- Mumbai to Delhi (India) – 704,747 seats
- Melbourne to Sydney (Australia) – 669,046 seats
- Tokyo Haneda to Okinawa (Japan) – 667,093 seats
- Shanghai to Shenzhen (China) – 652,029 seats
- Beijing to Shanghai (China) – 640,817 seats
Understanding the Rankings
OAG determines the busiest air routes by analyzing scheduled airline seat capacity. The data includes flights operating in both directions on each route. Analysts collect this information during the first week of every month using the OAG Schedules Analyser.
The figures represent the most recent complete calendar month. They provide a clear snapshot of the busiest domestic and international flight routes in their respective categories.
This data underscores the continued strength of Asian aviation markets. It also highlights the significant role of key city pairs like Mumbai-Delhi in shaping global travel patterns as we move through 2026.
