South Korea’s Incheon airport became the world’s busiest airport for international passengers after handling 38.39 million travellers in the first half of 2026, according to preliminary figures compiled by Airports Council International. Heathrow ranked second with 37.79 million, followed by Singapore’s Changi airport with 34.53 million.
The shift was partly linked to disruption in the Middle East caused by the US-Iran conflict. Incheon International Airport Corporation said weakened traffic through hubs such as Dubai diverted some transfer passengers to alternative routes through east Asia.
A first for Incheon since its opening
Incheon, South Korea’s main international gateway, is about 30 miles (48km) west of Seoul. It first opened in 2001 and had never topped the international passenger rankings before 2026.
The airport ranked 10th globally in 2002, fifth in 2018 and third in both 2024 and 2025. Its international passenger traffic rose 6.3% year on year in the first half of 2026.
Foreign visitors and regional routes drive growth
Foreign passengers made up 39.3% of Incheon’s traffic in the first half of 2026, compared with 35.2% for all of 2025. Their share reached a record 44.4% in the second quarter, with Incheon International Airport Corporation attributing much of the increase to visitors from China and Japan.
The airport now serves 101 airlines flying to 183 cities, including 158 international passenger destinations. A four-phase expansion completed in late 2024 raised its annual capacity to 106 million passengers.
Conflict changes the airport rankings
Heathrow recorded 40 million total passengers in the first half of 2026, including domestic and international travellers, its busiest first half on record. Traffic to the Asia-Pacific region rose 7.9%, while capacity to the Middle East fell 16.5% amid the regional conflict.
Incheon’s rise comes as other airport rankings also shift. Istanbul handled 8.15 million passengers in July, compared with 7.9 million at Heathrow, making Istanbul Europe’s busiest airport by total passenger numbers that month.
South Korea’s wider aviation position
South Korea also had the world’s busiest air route in 2025: the domestic corridor between Gimpo airport and Jeju island, which had 14.4 million scheduled seats, according to aviation data provider OAG.
Kim Beom-ho, acting president of Incheon International Airport Corporation, said the ranking reflected government support, public encouragement and the work of airport staff.
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