• 13.08.2026

Incheon Airport overtakes Heathrow in international passenger numbers

Incheon International Airport in South Korea has become the world's busiest airport in terms of international passenger traffic for the first time in its history.

According to preliminary data from Airports Council International (ACI), South Korea's main gateway handled 38.39 million international passengers in the first six months of 2026. Final confirmation of these figures is expected in September, following the publication of the World Airport Traffic Report.

Incheon's current ranking places it ahead of London Heathrow, which ranked second with 37.79 million passengers, and Singapore Changi Airport (34.53 million).

Airport authorities note that the significant surge in traffic is partly due to geopolitical instability in the Middle East. This has led to a redistribution of traffic, causing many passengers to abandon their usual connections in Dubai in favor of routes through East Asia.

Growth in the transit segment is particularly noticeable: the number of such passengers increased by 18.1% in the first half of the year, reaching 4.24 million. Demand for transit flights to Europe via Incheon also grew by 63.2% year-on-year.

Opened in 2001, Incheon has demonstrated rapid progress: as recently as 2002, it ranked tenth globally, and held third place in 2024 and 2025. Following the completion of a major expansion project, the hub's capacity reached 106 million passengers per year.

At the same time, analysts expect Dubai International Airport to drop out of the top five busiest international airports by the end of the year.