The world's busiest air route: Korea's Gimpo-Jeju route ranks first

Korea's Gimpo-Jeju air route has been confirmed as the most utilized air route in the world last year.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) report on global air transport statistics for 2024, this route takes 1 hour and 15 minutes, with over 13 million passengers using it last year.

On the 9th of this month (local time), CNN in the United States reported, citing the report, that "9 out of the 10 busiest air routes in the world are located in the Asia-Pacific region, with the first being a domestic route in Korea." The overwhelming number of passengers on the Gimpo-Jeju route is an important indicator of the revitalization of the domestic airline market in Korea.

Status of the busiest air routes by region

The report also announced the busiest air routes in various regions of the world.

In North America, the route connecting New York, USA to Los Angeles was the busiest, with approximately 2.2 million passengers last year.

In Europe, the 1-hour flight connecting Barcelona, Spain with Palma de Mallorca recorded about 2 million passengers.

In Latin America, the route from Bogotá to Medellín in Colombia recorded the highest number of passengers at 3.8 million, while in Africa, the route from Cape Town to Johannesburg in South Africa attracted 3.3 million passengers.

These regional statistics are important data that demonstrate flight patterns and demand across continents, helping to understand global trends in the aviation industry.

Global aviation market size and growth trends

The United States has been identified as the country with the largest aviation market in the world.

Last year, the U.S. recorded 876 million air passengers, a 5.2% increase from the previous year, with most of these being domestic passengers.

CNN explained, "This is four times the number of passengers compared to India, which has the largest population in the world and is the fifth-largest aviation market."

China ranks as the second-largest aviation market globally, recording 741 million passengers last year, with an 18.7% growth rate compared to the previous year. This growth rate is more than three times faster than that of the U.S.

The United Kingdom ranked third with 261 million passengers, while Spain secured the fourth position with 241 million passengers.

Image source: Photo=Insight, reference photo for article understanding / gettyimagesbank