South Korean airport becomes busiest in world for global traffic amid Iran war
Summary
South Korea’s Incheon airport became the busiest airport in the world for international passengers in the first half of 2026. This change is partly due to disruptions in the Middle East caused by the war involving Iran, which affected other major airports.Key Facts
- Incheon airport handled 38.39 million international passengers from January to June 2026.
- Heathrow Airport in the UK was second with 37.79 million international passengers.
- The Iran war disrupted air travel in the Middle East, reducing traffic through Middle Eastern hubs like Dubai.
- Incheon’s international passenger traffic rose 6.3% compared to the same period in 2025.
- Foreign passengers made up 39.3% of Incheon’s travelers in early 2026, with many coming from China and Japan.
- Incheon airport now serves 101 airlines flying to 183 cities worldwide.
- The airport expanded its capacity to handle 106 million passengers yearly after completing a large upgrade in 2024.
- South Korea also operates the world’s busiest air route between Gimpo airport and Jeju island, with 14.4 million seats planned in 2025.
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