Jeju–Seoul Gimpo Tops OAG’s Busiest Airline Routes In 2025

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 23 (Bernama) -- Jeju to Seoul Gimpo has emerged as the busiest airline route of 2025, with 14.4 million seats scheduled, marking a modest one per cent increase compared with 2024, according to OAG’s ranking of 2025’s Busiest Airline Routes.

OAG Chief Analyst, John Grant said the scale and importance of these routes cannot be underestimated and highlight the strength of emerging markets globally.

“For Asia Pacific to be home to nine out of the 10 largest routes in the world, all of which are domestic, is a remarkable indication of how these routes have recovered in recent times and their significance to the airlines operating those sectors,” he added.

Powered by OAG’s Global Airline Schedules Data, the analysis provides an overview of global route performance and trends, noting that capacity on the Jeju–Seoul Gimpo route remains 17 per cent below its 2019 level, indicating further room for growth.

OAG in a statement said the second- and third-busiest routes are both in Japan, namely Sapporo New Chitose to Tokyo Haneda and Fukuoka to Tokyo Haneda, with 12.1 million and 11.5 million seats scheduled, respectively.

The analysis revealed that the top 10 busiest airline routes are all domestic flights, with Asia Pacific dominating the ranking, as nine out of the 10 routes are located in the region. The only route outside Asia Pacific is the Jeddah to Riyadh sector, which ranked fifth and recorded the fastest growth among the top 10, with 9.8 million seats and a 13 per cent year-on-year increase.

Fourth-placed Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh recorded four per cent year-on-year growth, while the Shanghai to Shenzhen route rose into the top 10 for the first time, registering a five per cent increase in capacity compared with the previous year.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong to Taipei continued to be the world’s busiest cross-border route in 2025, with 6.8 million seats, followed by Cairo to Jeddah with 5.8 million seats and Kuala Lumpur to Singapore Changi with 5.6 million seats.

-- BERNAMA