Incheon Airport Becomes World's Busiest for International Passengers

Incheon International Airport in South Korea has become the world's busiest airport for international passenger traffic, surpassing London's Heathrow Airport for the first time. According to preliminary data from Airports Council International, the airport handled 38.4 million international passengers in the first half of 2026. Heathrow ranked second with 37.79 million passengers, followed by Singapore's Changi Airport with 34.53 million.

The airport's rise to the top position is attributed to a combination of shifting global travel patterns and significant infrastructure growth. A key factor has been the diversion of passengers from Middle Eastern hubs due to the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran. The airport corporation noted that some travelers who previously transited through Dubai on their way to Europe are now using Incheon as a stopover. This shift led to an 18 percent increase in transfer passengers compared to the same period last year, with transfer traffic to European destinations surging by 63.2 percent to approximately 210,000 passengers.

Incheon's performance was also bolstered by a strong increase in inbound tourism. Foreign nationals accounted...