Istanbul Airport in Türkiye has been named the world’s most connected aviation hub, overtaking London Heathrow, according to global travel intelligence company OAG’s Megahubs 2026 report published on Wednesday.
Istanbul Airport climbed from second place in 2025 to the top of the global ranking for the first time, with connections to 337 destinations worldwide.
Turkish Airlines operated 80 percent of flights at the airport, according to the report.
London Heathrow dropped to second place after potential connections on its busiest day fell 6 percent year-on-year, partly due to ongoing disruptions to Middle East schedules.
Amsterdam Schiphol ranked third after recording growth in both connections and the number of destinations it served.
Kuala Lumpur retained fourth place and remained the most connected airport in Asia, with the number of destinations it served rising to 154.
Chicago O’Hare climbed from seventh place in 2025 to fifth globally and remained the most connected airport in the Americas.
Asia Pacific dominates
Airports in the Asia Pacific region accounted for eight of the global top 20, the largest share of any region.
Chinese airports made notable gains, with Shanghai Pudong rising from 19th to 14th and Baiyun International climbing from 36th to 19th. Hong Kong also returned to the top 20, moving from 22nd to 20th.
Kuala Lumpur ranked first in OAG’s Low-Cost Carrier Megahubs Index, with nearly 15,000 possible low-cost connections.
The Asia Pacific region accounted for 64 percent of the top 25 low-cost airport hubs, while low-cost carriers represented 51 percent of all seats across Southeast Asia, compared with a global average of 34 percent.
