Heathrow Reigns as World’s Most Connected Airport

London Heathrow (LHR) retained its title as the world’s most connected airport for the third consecutive year, offering over 59,000 possible connections to 226 destinations on the busiest day, according to annual Megahubs report released by Official Airline Guide (OAG).

Despite the increasing levels of competition, a 24% increase in destinations served underpins London Heathrow (LHR)’s ranking as the best-connected airport over the last decade, and it retains its number one position this year, OAG said.

Heathrow remains the leading hub for global travelers and is also Europe’s busiest airport by seat capacity, OAG, a global leader in air travel intelligence providing data, schedules, and analytics to the aviation industry.

Notably, Heathrow is the only airport in the Global Top 10 to retain the same ranking as last year. Every other airport in the Top 10 have seen shifts in position – some positive and some negative.

OAG’s Chief Analyst John Grant said that Heathrow’s sustained dominance reflects its vital role in global travel, while Istanbul’s rapid rise shows how hubs are evolving to meet demand.

“Our 2025 ranking underscores the balance between established gateways and ambitious challengers worldwide, which has developed over ten years of Megahubs,” John Grant said.

Istanbul Airport (IST) has seen one of the greatest increases, surging from eighth position last year to second place in this year’s ranking, due to a 25% year-on-year increase in potential connections on the busiest day of the year.

Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) climbs to 3rd place, up from 4th place last year, while Kuala Lumpur (KUL) is the highest-ranking Asian airport in the Top 10 in joint fourth place with Frankfurt (FRA), which has seen a significant shift in rankings, climbing from 10^th position last year to fourth, driven by a 21% increase in potential connections y-o-y, the report said.

Tokyo Haneda (HND) has dropped down in this year’s rankings from 3rd in 2024 to 9th in 2025, reflecting a 10% decline in connections.

Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL), the world’s largest airport by seat capacity, re-entered the Top 10 this year rising from 11^th place last year to eighth position in 2025. ATL has added eight more destinations and seen a corresponding 14% increase in potential connections.

Chicago O’Hare (ORD) also makes gains, climbing two spots to seventh, due to a 17% growth in connections and an expanded network of 15 additional destinations.

Low-Cost Megahubs

The report also said that Kuala Lumpur (KUL) remains the world’s most connected LCC Megahub, holding onto the top spot, and is followed by Incheon (ICN), which has risen from third to second place, swapping positions with Manila (MNL), which now ranks third.

Hong Kong (HKG) has experienced the most impressive growth, moving up 20 places to fourth place this year. Potential LCC connections at HKG has almost tripled, driven by HK Express, which added 15 new destinations in the past year. Almost half of these operate to Japan, with others linking to China, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

Dubai (DXB) in fifth place has the highest volume of potential LCC connections, an increase of 4% y-o-y, with flydubai playing a central role operating 28% of flights at Dubai.

Sydney (SYD) has seen one of the largest jumps moving up from 20^th place in 2024 to sixth place this year. Australia’s busiest airport nearly doubled its potential LCC connections and was now approaching 7,000.

Tokyo Narita (NRT), Tokyo’s second largest airport, has also almost doubled its potential connections compared to last year, consequently moving up from 19^th to seventh place. With 46% of flights at NRT operating on LCCs, it underscores the scale of LCC presence.

Looking at the broader picture, 16 of the Top 25 LCC Megahubs are in Asia Pacific, eight are in EMEA and just one, New York JFK, is in North America. Emphasising Asia Pacific’s role as the dominant region for low-cost connectivity, the report added.