Recently, OAG, a UK-based travel and aviation data analytics firm, released its 2025 report ranking the world’s busiest flight routes. The findings reveal that 9 out of the top 10 routes are located in the Asia-Pacific region. The sole exception is the Jeddah-Riyadh route in Saudi Arabia, which ranks fifth but boasts the fastest growth rate among the top 10.
The shortest route, from Jeju to Seoul Gimpo in South Korea, claims the title of the world’s busiest, offering 14.4 million scheduled seats in 2025—a 1% increase from the previous year. This 243-nautical-mile (450 km) journey is a favorite among Korean travelers, with nearly 40,000 seats available daily. Seven airlines compete fiercely on this route.
Despite reclaiming the top spot, OAG notes that passenger numbers remain 17% below pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
Asiana is one of seven airlines operating the Seoul-Jeju route. (Image: 123rf)
Japan dominates the second and third positions with the Sapporo New Chitose to Tokyo Haneda and Fukuoka to Tokyo Haneda routes. The former offers over 12 million seats, while the latter provides more than 11.4 million.
Vietnam’s flagship route, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, ranks fourth (unchanged from 2024) with over 11 million seats—a 4% increase from last year and 8% above 2019 levels. This route supplies 30,000 seats daily.
In fifth place is Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh to Jeddah route, connecting the capital and the Red Sea port city, with over 9.8 million seats (27,000 daily). On December 25th alone, 14 flights depart in each direction between midnight and 6 a.m. Tickets for this 530-mile route are widely available at £38 per person.
Australia’s sole representative, Melbourne to Sydney, ranks sixth with nearly 9 million seats (25,000 daily). The cities are less than 450 miles apart, making them ideal for high-speed rail.
Seventh place goes to Tokyo Haneda to Okinawa Naha (Japan) with over 8 million seats.
Eighth is the Delhi to Mumbai route (India) with 7.6 million seats (21,000 daily), spanning 700 miles.
Ninth is Beijing to Shanghai Hongqiao (China) with 7.45 million seats (20,000 daily).
Rounding out the top 10 is Shanghai Hongqiao to Shenzhen (China) with 7.13 million seats.
Vietnam airline leads in 3 categories in the Asia-Pacific airline market
OAG, the leading global provider of travel and aviation data, has recently released a report on the performance of airlines and airports in the Asia-Pacific region from 2019 to 2023. This report is based on the largest network of flight data and market intelligence, providing valuable insights into the industry.
