U.S. Leads in Air Travel Market Size
China’s Explosive Growth Closes the Gap
Asia-Pacific Dominates More Than Half of the World's Busiest Routes
Boeing 737 Remains Unrivaled Despite Accident History
The domestic route between Seoul and Jeju in South Korea carried over 13 million passengers last year, making it the busiest air route in the world.
The domestic route from Seoul to Jeju in South Korea has become the busiest air route in the world. Unrelated to the article. Asia Economy DB
On August 9 (local time), CNN reported that the busiest air route in the world is the Seoul-Jeju route in South Korea. Although the flight time is only about 1 hour and 15 minutes, more than 13 million passengers used this route last year, making it by far the most dominant among the world's top 10 air routes.
U.S. Leads in Air Travel Market Size... China’s Explosive Growth Closes the Gap
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) "2024 World Air Transport Statistics" report, the United States ranked first in terms of air travel market size by country, with 876 million passengers. This figure is four times that of India, which ranked fifth with 200 million passengers. China followed in second place with 741 million passengers. China recorded explosive growth of 18.7% year-on-year, closely trailing the United States, which grew by 5.2%. The United Kingdom (261 million) and Spain (241 million) ranked third and fourth, respectively.
Asia-Pacific Dominates More Than Half of the World's Busiest Routes
Nine out of the world's top 10 air routes are concentrated in the Asia-Pacific region. The number one route was the Seoul (Gimpo)?Jeju route in South Korea, with over 13 million passengers in a single year. In North America, the busiest route was New York (JFK)?Los Angeles (LAX) with 2.2 million passengers, while in Europe, the Barcelona (BCN)?Palma de Mallorca (PMI) route in Spain topped the list with 2 million passengers. In Latin America, the Bogota (BOG)?Medellin (MDE) route in Colombia had the highest number at 3.8 million, and in Africa, the Cape Town (CPT)?Johannesburg (JNB) route in South Africa led with 3.3 million passengers.
Boeing 737 Remains Unrivaled Despite Accident History
By aircraft type, the Boeing 737 series ranked first with 10 million flights. Despite a history of accidents, the Boeing 737 remains the mainstay for airlines worldwide. It was followed by Boeing’s rival Airbus, with the A320 (7.9 million flights) and the A321 (3.4 million flights).
This data demonstrates the overwhelming influence of the Asia-Pacific region in global air travel. Among these, the Jeju?Seoul route has proven the power of short-haul domestic flights, securing the title of the world’s busiest air route.
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