Istanbul Airport Tops OAG 2026 Rankings as World’s Most Internationally Connected Hub
Istanbul Airport (IST) has ascended to the top spot as the world’s most internationally connected airport, surpassing London Heathrow in the esteemed OAG Megahubs 2026 annual ranking. The Turkish hub climbed from the second position in 2025, boasting a connectivity index score of 265.4 and an impressive 89,456 potential connections to 337 destinations globally.
The primary contributor to Istanbul’s connectivity supremacy is Turkish Airlines, which operates a significant 80% of all flights at the airport. John Grant, OAG’s Chief Analyst, credits Istanbul’s success to the robust global network of Turkish Airlines and the airport’s strategic geographical location bridging the East and West. He also underscored the airport’s capacity to run three simultaneous runways, enabling it to optimize connectivity during peak hours.
Meanwhile, London Heathrow fell to the second position, its connectivity hampered by persistent disruptions to Middle East flight schedules. Amsterdam Schiphol secured the third place, with Kuala Lumpur International and Chicago O’Hare completing the top five. The ranking is derived from scheduled flight data from the busiest global aviation day of the year — Sunday, 2 August 2026 — and evaluates connections achievable within a six-hour layover window.
Source: OAG – Istanbul Is the Most Connected Airport in the World, Megahubs 2026