Aviation news6 min read
The ranking is built on a "connectivity index": the possible connections between arriving and departing flights within a six-hour window, measured on the busiest day for global aviation in the past year — Sunday 2 August 2026. The higher the index, the better the airport turns scale into onward options.
Vietnam on the global connectivity map
In the Top 25 International Low-Cost (LCC) Megahubs, Vietnam places two airports, with Vietjet the dominant low-cost carrier at both:
| Rank | Airport | Dominant LCC | Index | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | SGN — Tân Sơn Nhất (HCMC) | Vietjet · 31% LCC seats | 37.3 | — |
| 22 | HAN — Nội Bài (Hanoi) | Vietjet · 30% LCC seats | 31.8 | ▲ 3 |
This reflects the strength of the low-cost model in Southeast Asia: per OAG, LCCs account for 51% of seats in the region, well above the global average of 34%.
Among full-service hubs, OAG flags Vietnam from another angle: comparing capacity growth across Southeast Asian megahubs, Hà Nội leads with 11.8% growth — faster even than Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Asia's number-one megahub.
The world's ten most connected airports
Istanbul (IST) overtakes London Heathrow to become the most connected airport in the world in 2026, up from second last year. OAG says Istanbul has the highest potential connectivity of the biggest airports, with links to 337 global destinations; Turkish Airlines holds 80% of capacity.
| Rank | Code | Airport | Index | Change | Dominant carrier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IST | Istanbul | 265.4 | ▲ 1 | Turkish Airlines · 80% |
| 2 | LHR | London Heathrow | 246.2 | ▼ 1 | British Airways · 51% |
| 3 | AMS | Amsterdam Schiphol | 242.7 | — | KLM · 56% |
| 4 | KUL | Kuala Lumpur | 232.1 | — | AirAsia · 34% |
| 5 | ORD | Chicago O'Hare | 232.1 | ▲ 2 | United · 49% |
| 6 | ICN | Seoul Incheon | 221.7 | — | Korean Air · 22% |
| 7 | FRA | Frankfurt | 218.4 | ▼ 3 | Lufthansa · 53% |
| 8 | HND | Tokyo Haneda | 217.4 | ▲ 1 | ANA · 36% |
| 9 | CDG | Paris Charles de Gaulle | 210.1 | ▲ 1 | Air France · 57% |
| 10 | ATL | Atlanta | 190.7 | ▼ 2 | Delta · 80% |
Asia Pacific leads on volume
17 of the Top 50 global megahubs are in Asia Pacific, eight of them in the Top 20. Kuala Lumpur (KUL) holds the number-one spot in Asia, with Seoul Incheon (ICN) and Tokyo Haneda (HND) close behind.
| Global rank | Code | Airport | Index | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | KUL | Kuala Lumpur | 232.1 | — |
| 6 | ICN | Seoul Incheon | 221.7 | — |
| 8 | HND | Tokyo Haneda | 217.4 | ▲ 1 |
| 11 | SIN | Singapore Changi | 187.0 | — |
| 12 | BKK | Bangkok Suvarnabhumi | 179.1 | — |
| 14 | PVG | Shanghai Pudong | 168.0 | ▲ 5 |
| 19 | CAN | Guangzhou Baiyun | 149.1 | ▲ 17 |
| 20 | HKG | Hong Kong | 145.8 | ▲ 2 |
China's airports climb sharply: Shanghai (PVG) from 19th to 14th, Guangzhou (CAN) from 36th to 19th, and Hong Kong (HKG) back into the Top 20 (22nd to 20th) — a sign, per OAG, that China's megahubs have finally shaken off the residual effects of 2020.
Connectivity is not the same as size
A central point of the report: the biggest airport is not necessarily the best connected. Atlanta (ATL) is the world's busiest airport by capacity, yet it is Istanbul (IST) — only eighth by capacity — that tops the connectivity index. The index measures how well a schedule converts scale into connections: potential connections relative to destinations served.
It is why a traveller planning a connection should look at connectivity, not just at how large an airport is. To understand the metrics behind airline reporting, see our airline terminology guide.
How OAG built the index
OAG analysed the 100 largest airports in the world and the 100 largest international airports (by total seats for the 12 months to August 2026), then counted every possible connection between an arrival and a departure within a six-hour window, with at least one international leg, on the busiest day, 2 August 2026. Minimum connection times (MCT) are applied per airport. The LCC table uses the same method but counts low-cost flights only.
Book connections through TripWise.vn
Agents and corporate clients can call 037 463 9192 for TripWise.vn to build connecting itineraries through the megahubs (Incheon, Singapore, Bangkok, Istanbul and more) for the exact dates and cabin required. Companies needing VAT invoices and credit terms for business travel can see our corporate flight service. See also Vietnam's airports.
Data source: OAG Megahubs 2026 (John Grant, OAG; Deirdre Fulton, MIDAS Aviation). Index values and ranks are based on the busiest day for global aviation in the past year — Sunday 2 August 2026. TripWise.vn summarises and analyses this for agents, corporate clients and travellers; the underlying figures are OAG's.
