Incheon Airport Becomes World’s Busiest For International Passengers Overtakes London Heathrow

South Korea’s Incheon International Airport has overtaken London Heathrow and Singapore Changi to become the world’s busiest airport for international passenger traffic in the first half of 2026.

Preliminary figures from the Airports Council International showed that Incheon handled 38.4 million international passengers between January and June, compared with 37.79 million at Heathrow and 34.53 million at Singapore Changi.

Airport officials attributed the surge partly to changes in travel patterns linked to the conflict between the United States and Iran, which prompted some passengers to avoid traditional Middle Eastern aviation hubs.

Incheon Airport Corporation said transfer passengers increased by 18 per cent compared with the same period last year, while passengers connecting through Incheon to Europe jumped 63.2 per cent to 210,000.

The airport has also benefited from expanded infrastructure and its extensive international network. Incheon currently connects South Korea to 158 international destinations, more than Hong Kong International Airport, Shanghai Pudong and Tokyo Narita.

The latest figures mark a significant rise for Incheon, which ranked 12th globally in 2024 and 13th in 2025 based on international passenger traffic.

Dubai International Airport, which ranked among the world’s top two airports in 2024 and 2025, is also expected to fall out of the top five in the latest rankings.

Acting president of Incheon Airport Corporation, Kim Beom-ho, credited the South Korean government, passengers and airport workers for the achievement, saying the corporation would continue improving passenger services and strengthening the airport’s global competitiveness.