Fairly recently, the aviation analytics company Cirium – whose data will be used henceforth – unveiled the most connected airports
in the world, which includes such mega hubs as Istanbul Airport (IST) or Frankfurt Airport (FRA).
The list also included a few United States-based airports, including Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), which was the fifth-most connected airport in the world and ranked first in the United States
.
While the full top five list will be unveiled in the list below, one thing was certain: the most connected airports in the US – barring one in the list – were mainly connected on domestic routes, with the number of international itineraries trailing behind.
Interestingly, Canada’s largest airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)
was the fifth-most connected airport in North America, with 202 destinations split between 34 domestic and 168 international points served by airlines flying from YYZ.
5
Miami International Airport (MIA)
Total destinations from MIA in 2024: 198
- Domestic destinations: 88
- International destinations: 110
Unlike any of the following airports on the list, Miami International Airport (MIA)
has more international destinations than domestic points on its route map.
Cirium data showed that out of the total 198 destinations, 88 are domestic, while 110 are international.
Photo: Ritu Manoj Jethani | Shutterstock
Further data from the company indicated that a total of 55 airlines operate flights from the Floridan airport, which includes carriers with several air operator’s certificates (AOC), such as Norse Atlantic Airways and its United Kingdom-based AOC.
Being an 
American Airlines
hub, the airline dominated MIA. Data showed that, on average, American Airlines has scheduled 2,344 weekly flights in 2024, or a total of 28,133 weekly flights during the course of the year.
4
Denver International Airport (DEN)
Total destinations from DEN in 2024: 229
- Domestic destinations: 194
- International destinations: 35
Denver International Airport (DEN)
was the complete opposite of MIA, with the former airport serving more domestic destinations by far, with domestic and international destinations in 2024 being 194 and 35, respectively.
Furthermore, unlike MIA, which was dominated by American Airlines, DEN is a hub or major base for several airlines, such as United Airlines, Frontier Airlines, and Southwest Airlines.
Photo: Framalicious | Shutterstock
Still, United Airlines was the largest airline at the airport in terms of weekly departures, with a 12-month average of 3,315 weekly flights in 2024.
Southwest Airlines was in second place, with the carrier averaging 1,871 weekly departures from DEN during the year, while Frontier Airlines came in third, with an average of 501 weekly flights from the Coloradan airport.
3
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL)
Total destinations from ATL in 2024: 237
- Domestic destinations: 158
- International destinations: 79
Despite ranking as the busiest airport in the world for decades now, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL)
is not the most connected airport in the US, ranking third in the country.
Being much closer to the east coast than DEN, ATL has a much broader international route network, with 
Delta Air Lines
and its partners, including Aeromexico, as well as Air France
and KLM, running connecting flights from their respective countries to various points in the US beyond ATL.
at
Photo: Mikhalis Makarov | Shutterstock
As a result, while ATL is unable to compete against MIA’s 110 international destinations, it has beaten other airports in this list, including the subsequent two that will round off the top five.
Delta Air Lines runs an impressive operation out of the Georgian airport, scheduling an average of 5,774 weekly flights during the year, totaling 69,288 weekly departures in 2024.
2
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
Total destinations from DFW in 2024: 261
- Domestic destinations: 193
- International destinations: 68
The list goes back west, namely to the largest airport in Texas: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
, which ranked second.
The airport has 261 served destinations in 2024, which includes 193 domestic and 68 international points, with American Airlines being the largest airline at the airport.
Photo: EQRoy | Shutterstock
Data showed that the airline averaged 5,828 weekly departures from DFW, making it one of the most prominent 
oneworld
hubs in the world.
Many airlines that have been a part of the alliance, including but not limited to 
British Airways
, Iberia, Japan Airlines, and Qantas, have scheduled flights from/to DFW, utilizing American Airlines’ network at the airport to connect passengers to further destinations in the US.
1
Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
Total destinations from ORD in 2024: 270
- Domestic destinations: 195
- International destinations: 75
As discussed above, Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) has been scheduled to become the most connected airport in the US, with the airport tying for fifth place with Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) globally.
Nevertheless, the airport has been a major hub for United Airlines, which, considering the tendencies of the above-mentioned airports, runs the most flights out of ORD.
Photo: Leonard Zhukovsky | Shutterstock
Cirium data showed that in 2024, United Airlines averaged 3,363 weekly departures out of the airport.
However, perhaps surprisingly, American Airlines has also planned a major operation out of ORD, with the carrier planning 2,464 weekly flights out of the airport during the year.
In comparison, Delta Air Lines should only average 273.6 weekly departures out of ORD in 2024.