In the first half of 2026, South Korea’s Incheon Airport, with the movement of 38 million and 390 thousand international passengers, for the first time became the world’s busiest airport in terms of the transit of foreign passengers. According to reports, disruption to the operations of Middle Eastern aviation hubs following the war between the United States and the Islamic Republic has led to some transit flights being rerouted to East Asia routes.

Based on preliminary statistics from the International Airports Council, the number of transit passengers at Incheon increased by 18.1% compared with the same period last year, reaching four million and 240 thousand people. In addition, the flow of transit passengers from Europe via this airport grew by 63.2%.

London Heathrow Airport ranked second with 37 million and 790 thousand international passengers, and Singapore’s Changi Airport ranked third with 34 million and 530 thousand passengers.

The Incheon International Airport Company announced that the reduction in the role of Middle Eastern air hubs, including Dubai, and a 16.5% decline in flight capacity to this region, alongside a 7.9% increase in air traffic in Asia and Oceania, helped Incheon’s rise in ranking.