Incheon airport becomes world's busiest for international passengers

South Korea’s Incheon airport handled more international passengers than any other airport in the world during the first half of 2026, according to preliminary data from the Airports Council International. The airport recorded 38.39 million international passengers, edging out London Heathrow’s 37.79 million and Singapore Changi’s 34.53 million. Incheon International Airport Corporation, quoted by Yonhap news agency, attributed part of the rise to disruption from the US-Iran conflict, which weakened Middle Eastern hubs such as Dubai and pushed transfer traffic toward East Asia. This marks the first time Incheon has topped the international passenger rankings since it opened in 2001; it ranked 10th in 2002, fifth in 2018, and third in both 2024 and 2025. Overall international traffic at Incheon grew 6.3% year on year, with foreign visitors making up 39.3% of passengers in the first half of 2026, up from 35.2% for all of 2025. In the second quarter, foreigners reached a record 44.4% of passengers, driven largely by travelers from China and Japan, according to local media. Heathrow recorded 40 million total passengers in the first half of the year, its busiest first half on record, with Asia-Pacific traffic up 7.9% while capacity to the Middle East reportedly fell 16.5% due to the conflict. Incheon now serves 101 airlines flying to 183 cities, including 158 international passenger destinations, and a four-phase expansion completed in late 2024 raised its annual capacity to 106 million passengers. Acting IIAC president Kim Beom-ho credited the ranking to government support, public encouragement, and the work of airport staff. South Korea also operates the world’s busiest air route, the Gimpo–Jeju corridor, which had 14.4 million scheduled seats in 2025 according to OAG.