Three major airports in the Middle East – Dubai International Airport (DXB), Hamad International Airport (DOH) in Doha, and King Khalid International Airport (RUH) in Riyadh – have secured spots in the prestigious OAG Mega Hubs 2024 report.
Dubai International Airport maintained its 16th position from 2023, while Doha’s Hamad International Airport dropped to 36th, and Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport climbed to 42nd, reflecting its growing significance as a global travel hub.
Dubai held a 38% share of international flights, with 45,084 connections. Doha reported a 79% flight share, amassing 22,190 connections, while Riyadh managed a 42% share with over 12,000 connections.
London Heathrow (LHR) remains the world’s most internationally connected airport, continuing its dominance in global air travel. Heathrow operates 50% of its flights through British Airways, with significant capacity in the year leading up to August 2024.
Kuala Lumpur (KUL) ranked second globally, marking its rise as the most connected airport in Asia Pacific, despite not having the highest volume of connections. Other notable airports like Istanbul (IST) and Tokyo Narita (NRT) also made significant strides, with Narita entering the top 50 as Japan’s air traffic rebounded.
European hubs such as Amsterdam (AMS), Frankfurt (FRA), and Paris (CDG) remained in the top 10, although some experienced reductions in Asian services due to flight restrictions over Russia and Ukraine.
