Summary

  • Chicago O’Hare Airport is ranked 5th globally in connections, serving 270 destinations.
  • Istanbul Airport tops the list with 309 destinations, while Dubai, Shanghai, and European airports also make the cut.
  • Chicago O’Hare has 8 runways and has services from around 50 airlines.

Chicago O’Hare International Airport consistently makes it to the list of busiest airports in the world every year. But how does that translate to the number of destinations served from the airport globally? The latest list from aviation analytics firm Cirium reveals O’Hare to be the fifth most connected airport in the world. Some other US airports also feature in the top 20, along with other major global hubs.

5th most connected airport

Aviation analytics firm Cirium has revealed the list of the ‘Most Connected Airports’ globally in 2024. It features some of the busiest airports around the world, and Chicago O’Hare (ORD) is listed at number 5, with 270 destinations served.

 A United Airlines Boeing 777 just above the runway at Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

Photo: Greg K__ca l Shutterstock

The top 20 airports include those from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East and also include three other airports from the United States. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is at number 6 with 261 connections.

The other two American airports include Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) at number 9 with 237 connections, while Denver International Airport (DEN) just misses a spot in the top 10 and sits at number 11 with 229 connections.

Other airports on the list

Istanbul Airport (IST) is the world’s most connected airport, with 309 destinations. Of course, this is mainly because it is the primary hub for Turkish Airlines, which enjoys a vast global network of more than 270 destinations. Next on the list is Frankfurt Airport (FRA), with 296 destinations served in the first half of the year, followed by Paris Charles de Gaulle with 282 destinations.

Several Turkish Airlines aircraft on the ground at Istanbul Airport.

Photo: EvrenKalinbacak | Shutterstock

Interestingly, no airport from the United Kingdom is featured in the top 10 list, with

London Heathrow Airport

(LHR) coming in 12th place, with 221 destinations. London Gatwick takes the 14th spot with 218 destinations and is tied with Madrid. In the first half of 2023, Heathrow was at number 8.

Dubai International Airport (DXB) is number six with 269 destinations, while Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) is number 8 with 243 destinations. Overall, the top 20 airports on the list feature 10 from Europe, four each from the US and China, and two from the Middle East.

Chicago O’Hare International Airport

O’Hare is one of two major airports serving Chicago. It has eight runways and sees scheduled flights from around 50 airlines. As per OAG, it is the seventh-busiest airport in the world this month by number of seats available, at 4,393,280 seats, and the third busiest in the US.

United planes at Chicago O'Hare

Photo: EQRoy | Shutterstock

United Airlines is the biggest airline to serve out of Chicago O’Hare

, followed by American Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Delta, and Southwest. While the airport often sees some of the biggest aircraft, it also has a huge network operated by regional jets. In fact, it is the world’s top airport to have regional jet flights.

With more than 27,000 average daily roundtrips, 40% of the airport’s operations are with regional jets, with American Eagle having the biggest presence. Simple Flying’s route analyst, James Pearson, has done a detailed analysis of this in the article below.

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