South Korea's Incheon airport beats Heathrow to become world's busiest
The airport said diversions caused by the Middle East conflict helped boost its traffic, while Heathrow was ranked second.
Incheon International Airport in South Korea has surpassed London Heathrow to claim the title of the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic for the first time, according to new data.
Preliminary figures from the Airports Council International reveal that Incheon, South Korea's primary international gateway, handled 38.4 million international passengers during the first half of this year. London Heathrow Airport followed in second place with 37.79 million passengers, while Singapore's Changi Airport secured third with 34.53 million.
Incheon's ascent is partly attributed to passengers rerouting from Middle Eastern aviation hubs due to the conflict between the US and Iran. Dubai International Airport, which held the second spot in both 2024 and 2025 based on full-year statistics, is projected to drop out of the top five this period. In contrast, London's Heathrow was fifth in 2024 and seventh in 2025, while Incheon ranked 12th and 13th in those respective years.
The airport corporation noted that some passengers who previously transited through Dubai en route to Europe are now opting for Incheon, contributing to an 18% increase in transfer passengers compared to the same period last year. Specifically, the number of transfer passengers with final destinations in Europe surged by 63.2% to 210,000.
The corporation also highlighted that infrastructure expansion has enabled the airport to manage the increased traffic. Opened in 2001, Incheon serves 158 international destinations. This compares to Hong Kong International Airport's 139 destinations, Shanghai Pudong's 92, and Tokyo Narita's 86.
Kim Beom-ho, acting president of the Incheon airport corporation, expressed gratitude, stating, "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 also indicated plans to enhance competitiveness by prioritizing passenger convenience.