Top ten busiest air routes in the world

Travel is a big part of a lot of people’s lives these days for either business or vacation; today we are going to dive into see what are the busiest air routes in the world.

1. Seoul – Jeju

The flight from Seoul to Jeju (Jejudo in Korean) is not only the busiest air route in Korea, but the busiest in the world! Over 64,991 aircraft travel the 450 km (~280 miles) route each year, serviced by Jeju Airlines, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines.

Jeju Island, the destination of one of the busiest air routes in the world
Jeju Island

2. Sydney – Melbourne

Next we have one of the Australian air routes on the list, between the two biggest and well-known cities in Australia, Sydney and Melbourne. Quite a bit behind the Seoul – Jeju route, 54,519 aircraft travel the 706 km (~438 miles) route for business and pleasure each year.

Sydney, the destination of one of the busiest air routes in the world
Sydney, Australia. Photo by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0

3. Delhi – Mumbai

The second longest of the air routes on this list and the only one from India is between Dehli and Mumbai at a distance of 1150 km (~714 miles). 47,462 airplanes make the trip from India’s capital, Delhi, to its largest city, Mumbai, on the eastern coast.

Mumbai, the destination of one of the busiest air routes in the world
Mumbai, India

4. Tokyo – Fukuoka

Next on the list is the first of many Japanese air routes on this list; between Tokyo and Fukuoka. the largest city on Japan’s most eastern island Kyushu. Less travel on this route with 42,835 aircraft operating on the 883 km (~548 miles) route every year.

Fukouka, the destination of one of the busiest air routes in the world
Fukouka, Japan

5. Sao Paulo – Rio de Janeiro

The shortest air route on this list and the only South American is the flight between the major Brazillian cities of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. 39,325 airplanes service the 336 km (~227 miles) route per annum.

Rio de Janeiro, the destination of one of the busiest air routes in the world
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

6. Tokyo – Sapporo

The second of the Japanese air routes to feature on this list; between Tokyo and Sapporo, the largest city on Japan’s most northern island Hokkaido. Less travel on this route compared to the other Japanese route, with 38,389 planes flying the 819 km (~519 km) air route every year.

Sapporo, the destination of one of the busiest air routes in the world
Sapporo, Japan

7. Los Angeles – San Fransisco

The only North American air route covered in this list is between the two largest cities in California, Los Angeles and San Fransisco. Over 34,897 aircraft travel the 559 km (~347 miles) between the two entertainment and technology hubs.

San Fransisco, the destination of one of the busiest air routes in the world
San Fransisco, USA

8. Brisbane – Sydney

The second Australian air route to feature on this list between the largest Australian city, Sydney, and its smaller counterpart to the north, Brisbane. Not far behind the American route, 33,765 aircraft travel the 800 km (~497 miles) route between the two cities.

Brisbane, the destination of one of the busiest air routes in the world
Brisbane, Australia

9. Cape Town – Johannesburg

The only South African air route on our list is also the longest, between two major cities, Cape Town and Johannesburg. 31,914 planes fly the long distance of 1271 km (~780 miles) every year.

Cape Town, the destination of one of the busiest air routes in the world
Cape Town, South Africa

10.  Beijing – Shanghai

The second longest of the air routes on this list is the flight between the two major cities of China, Beijing and Shanghai. Around 30,029 aircraft traverse the 1075 km (~668 miles) route each year, operated by most of the Chinese airlines.

Shanghai, the destination of one of the busiest air routes in the world
Shanghai, China

Thanks for reading! Do you have a favourite air route that you like to travel on? Share below in the comments.