South Korea’s Incheon International Airport has emerged as the world’s busiest airport for international passenger traffic in the first half of 2026, according to preliminary figures from the Airports Council International.
The airport handled 38.4 million international passengers between January and June, narrowly surpassing London Heathrow’s 37.79 million and Singapore Changi’s 34.53 million.
Incheon attributed part of the increase to passengers shifting away from Middle Eastern aviation hubs amid the conflict between the United States and Iran.
The airport corporation said some travellers who previously connected through Dubai to reach Europe are now using Incheon, contributing to an 18 percent increase in transfer passengers compared with the same period last year.
Transfer passengers travelling onward to Europe rose by 63.2 percent to 210,000 during the period.
Dubai International, which ranked second globally in both 2024 and 2025 based on full-year figures, is expected to drop out of the top five in the latest rankings.
Incheon had ranked 12th in 2024 and 13th in 2025, while Heathrow placed fifth and seventh respectively during the same years.
The airport corporation said infrastructure expansion had also helped Incheon accommodate the increase in passenger traffic.
Opened in 2001, Incheon currently connects South Korea to 158 international destinations, giving it a wider network than several major Asian aviation hubs.
Hong Kong International Airport serves 139 destinations, while Shanghai Pudong and Tokyo Narita serve 92 and 86 respectively.
Kim Beom-ho, acting president of the Incheon airport corporation, credited the South Korean government, the public and airport workers for the airport’s rise to the top of the global rankings.
“We’re grateful for the [South Korean] government’s support, the public’s encouragement and the hard work of everyone stationed at the airport in making Incheon the world’s No. 1 airport”
Kim said the corporation would continue strengthening the airport’s competitiveness by improving passenger convenience.
Ojo Triumph
Follow us on:
