Incheon International Airport has become the world's busiest hub for international passenger traffic for the first time since its 2001 opening, ending Dubai's years-long hold on the top ranking.
The South Korean terminal handled 38.89 million international passengers in the first half of 2026, surpassing London's Heathrow, which ranked second with 37.79 million, and Singapore's Changi Airport at 34.53 million. Dubai International Airport, the previous leader, is forecast to fall outside the top five this year after passenger numbers dropped sharply earlier in the year. Incheon recorded an 18 percent increase in transit passengers compared with the same period last year, driven partly by a two-thirds surge in travellers connecting through the airport from Europe.
Incheon now serves 101 airlines flying to 158 international destinations. A 2024 expansion raised its annual capacity to 106 million passengers. The overall busiest airport remains Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, though its traffic is predominantly domestic.