Incheon Airport in South Korea has become the world's busiest airport for international passenger traffic for the first time, according to new data reported by Euronews. Located approximately 48 kilometres from the capital city of Seoul, the facility serves as South Korea's primary aviation gateway.
Preliminary figures from Airports Council International show that Incheon handled 38.39 million international passengers during the first six months of 2026. London Heathrow Airport took second place with 37.79 million passengers, followed by Singapore Changi Airport in third place with 34.53 million travelers.
Flight disruptions and passenger shifts
The rapid growth in passenger volume at Incheon was driven in part by transport disruptions in the Middle East stemming from the war between the United States and Iran. Citing the Incheon International Airport Corporation, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that the conflict redirected passenger traffic away from major hub airports such as Dubai. Instead, passenger traffic increased on routes passing through East Asia.
Transit passenger numbers at Incheon increased by 18.1 percent in the first half of the year to 4.24 million compared to the same period last year. The airport added that transit passengers heading to final destinations in Europe saw a particularly sharp rise, climbing 63.2 percent year on year to 210,000.
Airport expansion and global rankings
Opened in 2001, Incheon Airport currently accommodates 101 airlines operating flights to 183 cities, including 158 international destinations. An expansion project completed in 2024 increased the airport's annual capacity to 106 million passengers.
The top placement marks the first time Incheon has led global rankings for international passenger traffic. The airport ranked 10th in the world in 2002, before climbing to fifth place in 2018 and third place in both 2024 and 2025. By contrast, Dubai International Airport, which held second place in annual statistics in 2024 and 2025, is projected to fall out of the top five this year.
European traffic and upcoming report
Airports Council International is set to confirm its global passenger statistics in a monthly report scheduled for September. Earlier data from the organisation confirmed that London Heathrow surpassed Istanbul Airport as Europe's busiest airport by total passenger count, recording 7.9 million passengers through its terminals in July compared to 8.15 million at Istanbul.
