The Top 20 Most Well

Connected Airports In The

World In 2022
BY
RILEY PICKETT

Data on the most well-connected airports has finally been

released, revealing(揭露真相的，透露內情的) that the busiest
airports are not always the most well-connected.

As we embark into(踏上...(旅程)) a new year, reviewing what

occurred(發⽣；存在，出現) last year is essential. For most
airlines, 2022 presented unique challenges as they
grappled(扭打，搏⾾) with growing demand while inhibited(拘謹的，
受約束的) by reduced capacity. Most of these airlines adapted(適
應的) quickly to the growing demand, but at the same time,
great effort was also put forth to(提出) ensure operations ran
smoothly by airports. While this past year saw many airlines
reach near pre-pandemic levels, so did many airports.

The aviation analytics team at Cirium recently released a

report entailing(牽涉) the top 20 most connected airports. The
list is composed of(由...構成) data gathered from airports
around the world which shows how many connections to
other airports each airport offered in 2022. While these are
all busy airports, the data does not directly reflect which
airports were the busiest, just which connected passengers
to the most destinations. The data also does not directly
reflect the connectivity of a given city, as many cities have
multiple airports.
1/20
Frankfurt Airport
Germany's Frankfurt Airport managed to secure the number
one spot on this list as it offered connections to 330 airports
across the globe this past year. Dozens of airlines fly to the
world's most connected airport every year. Notably, the
airport is a hub for the German air carrier Lufthansa which
makes up a significant portion of the airport's traffic. The
airport's top route was to London Heathrow, with 100 weekly
flights.

2/20
Istanbul Airport
Trailing closely(緊隨其後) behind Frankfurt Airport is Istanbul
Airport, which offered a connection to 309 airports around
the world last year. For centuries, Istanbul has been a
crossroads for trade and transportation between the East
and the West. Today, it continues to serve as a vital
connection for trade and transportation even as
transportation technology improves. The airport that it offers
the most connections to is Iran's Tehran Imam Khomeini
International Airport.

3/20
Charles de Gaulle Airport
Paris's Charles de Gaulle Airport took bronze(銅牌) last year
as it connected passengers with 308 airports. The airport
serves as an essential connection within Europe while also
connecting passengers to other continents. France's
flagship carrier Air France is one of the largest operators at
the airport.

4/20
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
Another large European airport, Amsterdam Airport
Schiphol, connected its passengers with 293 airports in
2022. This is another airport that provides a vital connection
between Europe and other continents. One hundred twenty
weekly flights connect Schiphol with London Heathrow as
this is the most frequently flown route from the airport.

5/20
O'Hare International Airport
In fifth place comes Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.
The Midwestern airport offers connections across North
America and to other continents(洲，⼤陸). The airport is also
the home of the third-largest airline, United Airlines.
Between various airlines, passengers were able to connect
to 278 different airports from O'Hare this past year.

6/20
Dallas/Fort Worth
International Airport
The home turf(主場) of the largest airline in the world,
American Airlines, took sixth place in last year's connectivity
tournament(錦標賽). The airport offered connections to 269
airports throughout the year. No doubt, a formidable(令⼈敬畏的)
score, but far from sufficient to take the top spot. One
hundred nineteen flights per week are operated from this
airport to La Guardia International Airport, making it the
most popular route from Dallas.

7/20
Dubai Airport
Dubai is another centuries-old trade center that made this
list. Last year Dubai Airport, home of the famous airline
Emirates, serviced flights to 262 airports worldwide.
Emirates is responsible for many of these connections as it
utilizes(使⽤，利⽤，應⽤) Dubai as a central connecting hub in its
operations.
8/20
London Heathrow Airport
In 2022 London's largest airport, London Heathrow, serviced
connecting flights to 242 airports. This is an awe-inspiring(令
⼈敬畏的) feat considering London is serviced by several large
international airports. The airport serves as the central hub
for British Airways. While many other airlines operate to and
from Heathrow, British Airways makes up a large portion(部分)
of the flight offerings from the airport.

9/20
Leonardo da Vinci
International Airport
Rome's Leonardo da Vinci International Airport came in
ninth place this year as it connected to 239 airports. The
Mediterranean hub continues to be a vital link between
neighboring(鄰近) cities, countries, and continents(洲，⼤陸). The
airport offers 94 weekly flights to Milan Linate Airport,
making it the most frequented route for the airport.

10/20
Denver International Airport
Coming in at number 10 is Denver International Airport. This
centrally located airport acts as an essential connection
between US cities. It also offers numerous international
destinations. The airport provides connections to 226 other
airports. Denver serves as a hub for Southwest, Frontier,
United, and SkyWest, providing the airport with many
connections.

11/20
Vienna International Airport
Kicking off the second half of this list is Austria's Vienna
International Airport. The large airport, home to the country's
flag carrier Austrian Airlines, offers connections to 221
airports worldwide. The busiest of these connections is the
route between Vienna and Frankfurt, which is flown 74 times
per week,

12/20
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta
International Airport
Georgia's Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
took 12th place in last year's connectivity tournament. The
airport offered connections to 220 airports last year. This
may seem surprising to many as the airport, the hub of the
world's second-largest airline, Delta Air Lines, is the busiest
airport in the world.
13/20
Munich Airport
Munich's Franz Josef Straus Airport is the second German
airport to make this list. While it falls short of Frankfurt's
numbers, Munich Airport boasted(擁有) an impressive 216
airport connections last year. Munich also serves as a major
hub for Lufthansa.

14/20
Adolfo Suárez Madrid–
Barajas Airport
Spain's Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport trailed closely
behind Munich, offering connections to 214 airports. The
busiest route from this airport connects it with Spain's Palma
de Mallorca Airport. This route is operated 137 times per
week.

15/20
London Gatwick Airport
Despite London's best efforts to win last year's connectivity
tournament(錦標賽) by entering multiple candidates, it still fell
short of the gold. London Gatwick tied for 15th place last
year as it offered connections to 213 destinations. Like other
London airports, Gatwick is home to many airlines and
serves as a hub for British Airways, Wizz Air, easyJet, and
others.
16/20
George Bush Intercontinental
Airport
Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport tied with
London Gatwick for 15th place as it also had connections to
213 other airports. This Southern Texas airport is an
essential connection between US cities and Latin America.
The busiest route from this airport is a short-haul flight
connecting it with Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. The route is
operated 98 times per week.

17/20
Barcelona-El Prat Airport
Last year's connectivity tournament yielded(產出，出產) not one
but two ties. Spain's second entry Barcelona-El Prat Airport,
took 17th place last year as it offered connections to 210
destinations. The busiest of these destinations is Palma de
Mallorca Airport. Barcelona tops Madrid by one point in this
category as it operates 138 weekly flights to Palma de
Mallorca Airport.

18/20
Manchester Airport
Tied for 17th place is Manchester Airport, the UK's third
airport to make the leaderboard. Like Barcelona-El Prat
Airport, Manchester offered 210 destinations in 2022. The
busiest route from Manchester is to Dublin Airport. Aer
Lingus primarily operates this route.

19/20
London Stansted Airport
Falling just shy of creating a three-way tie is London
Stansted Airport which offered connections to 209 airports.
While London may not have won gold, it undoubtedly had
more representation on the leaderboard than any other city.

20/20
Zurich Airport
At the bottom of the leaderboard is Switzerland's Zurich
Airport. This airport offered 205 connections in 2022. The
airport is home to the country's national carrier SWISS.
While it may have come in last on the chart, it offers far
more connections than the vast majority of other airports
worldwide.