Incheon International Airport Becomes World's Busiest, Surpassing Heathrow
Summary
Incheon International Airport has overtaken London Heathrow to become the world’s busiest airport by passenger traffic, handling 38.4 million travelers in the first half of 2026. The surge was driven by rerouted passengers from West Asia and a sharp rise in transit traffic to Europe.
Key Points
- Incheon International Airport handled 38.4 million passengers in the first six months of 2026, surpassing Heathrow’s 37.79 million.
- Airport Council International preliminary data shows Incheon is now the world’s busiest airport by passenger traffic.
- The airport said diversion of travelers from West Asian hubs and increased Europe-bound transit traffic boosted numbers.
- Transit passengers to Europe rose 63.2% to 210,000, and Incheon now serves 158 international destinations.
