Kathmandu. South Korea’s Incheon International Airport has become the busiest airport in the world for the first time. According to preliminary data, 38.4 million international passengers travelled through Incheon Airport in the first six months of this year.
London’s Heathrow Airport came in second with 37.79 million passengers and Singapore’s Changi Airport was third with 34.53 million passengers, according to preliminary data from the Airports Council International (ACI).
The US-Iran conflict in the Middle East is believed to be a major reason for the growth of Incheon Airport. Some passengers from major Middle East aviation hubs have been diverted due to the conflict and have started flying via Incheon to reach Europe, airport authorities said.
Dubai International Airport, which is ranked second in the full year rankings for 2024 and 2025, is likely to drop out of the top five this time.
London Heathrow, meanwhile, was ranked fifth in 2024 and seventh in 2025. In these two years, Inchon was ranked 12th and 13th, respectively.
According to Incheon Airport Corporation, the number of transit passengers increased by 18 percent compared to the same period last year. Many of these passengers had previously taken connecting flights via Dubai when traveling to Europe. Now they are traveling through Incheon.
According to airport figures, the number of passengers transiting through Incheon to Europe as their final destination rose by 63.2 percent to 210,000. The conflict in the Middle East has also affected global air traffic routes and passenger preferences. –Agency
