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The routes ranked here use official 2025 scheduled seat totals on named airport pairs, and passenger counts are labelled rather than mixed in. Rank is by official 2025 scheduled seat totals on a named airport pair in both directions, and passenger counts actually flown are a different product, labelled rather than mixed in [1]. The busiest route of 2025 is Jeju to Seoul Gimpo, at 14,384,766 scheduled seats [1]. Sapporo New Chitose to Tokyo Haneda is second, at 12.1 million seats, a figure OAG also records more precisely as 12,099,499 seats in the same official year [1]. Fukuoka to Tokyo Haneda is third, at 11.5 million seats, or 11,496,706 seats in that same official year [1]. Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City is fourth, at about 11.1 million seats, a 4 percent increase on 2024; OAG's official page records the route as fourth and up 4 percent, and the matching official-year total is 11,078,775 seats [1]. Jeddah to Riyadh is fifth, at 9,819,558 seats, the outstanding official route in the ten outside the Asia-Pacific region [1].
Later names remain in the same official scheduled-seats class for 2025. Sydney to Melbourne is sixth, at 8,951,497 seats [1]. Tokyo Haneda to Naha is seventh, at 8,052,864 seats [1]. Mumbai to Delhi is eighth, at 7,642,016 seats [1]. Beijing Capital to Shanghai Hongqiao is ninth, at 7,454,950 seats, the official 7.5 million-seat Chinese domestic leader [1]. Shanghai Hongqiao to Shenzhen is tenth, at 7,138,673 seats, the official 7.1 million-seat second Chinese domestic route [1]. Hong Kong to Taipei, at 6,832,683 seats or about 6.8 million seats, is the outstanding official cross-border route of 2025 and sits just outside this overall ten [1]. This article does not copy airline logos, tail art, or official crests as decorative art.
Key Facts
The ten below are the labelled official 2025 scheduled-seat leaders: Jeju to Seoul Gimpo, 14,384,766 seats; Sapporo New Chitose to Tokyo Haneda, 12,099,499 seats; Fukuoka to Tokyo Haneda, 11,496,706 seats; Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, 11,078,775 seats; Jeddah to Riyadh, 9,819,558 seats; Sydney to Melbourne, 8,951,497 seats; Tokyo Haneda to Naha, 8,052,864 seats; Mumbai to Delhi, 7,642,016 seats; Beijing Capital to Shanghai Hongqiao, 7,454,950 seats; and Shanghai Hongqiao to Shenzhen, 7,138,673 seats [1]. Rank 1 is the outstanding official seat total, which stands well above every later named airport pair.
The table is the official spine: 2025 scheduled seats first, airport pairs named, and no silent substitution of a passenger-flown total or a later monthly snapshot.
Busiest Passenger Air Routes at a Glance
| Rank | Airport pair | Official 2025 scheduled seats | 2026 note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeju to Seoul Gimpo | 14,384,766 | Official OAG 2025 total; both directions |
| 2 | Sapporo New Chitose to Tokyo Haneda | 12,099,499 | Official OAG 2025 total, also published as 12.1 million seats |
| 3 | Fukuoka to Tokyo Haneda | 11,496,706 | Official OAG 2025 total, also published as 11.5 million seats |
| 4 | Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City | 11,078,775 | Official OAG 2025 total; up 4 percent on 2024 |
| 5 | Jeddah to Riyadh | 9,819,558 | Official OAG 2025 total; outstanding official route outside the Asia-Pacific region |
| 6 | Sydney to Melbourne | 8,951,497 | Official OAG 2025 total |
| 7 | Tokyo Haneda to Naha | 8,052,864 | Official OAG 2025 total |
| 8 | Mumbai to Delhi | 7,642,016 | Official OAG 2025 total |
| 9 | Beijing Capital to Shanghai Hongqiao | 7,454,950 | Official OAG 2025 total, also published as 7.5 million seats |
| 10 | Shanghai Hongqiao to Shenzhen | 7,138,673 | Official OAG 2025 total, also published as 7.1 million seats; Hong Kong to Taipei, at 6,832,683 seats, sits just outside |
1. Jeju to Seoul Gimpo
Jeju to Seoul Gimpo is first, at 14,384,766 scheduled seats in 2025 [1]. The figure is an official both-directions seat total, not a passenger-flown count, and not a later monthly snapshot from 2026. OAG also records that capacity on the route was 1 percent above 2024 and 17 percent behind 2019 [1]. This article records the official 14,384,766 figure. It stands well above Sapporo New Chitose to Tokyo Haneda.
It is first as the outstanding official 2025 seat total, a labelled fact, and the documentary centre of this ten [1]. A later official annual revision will belong in a revision of the cell.
OAG's Busiest Flight Routes of 2025 is the source [1].
2. Sapporo New Chitose to Tokyo Haneda
Sapporo New Chitose to Tokyo Haneda is second, at 12,099,499 scheduled seats in 2025, the official total that OAG also publishes as 12.1 million seats [1]. The figure is an official both-directions seat total, not a passenger-flown count. OAG records that the route was up 1 percent year on year and only 3 percent below pre-pandemic volumes [1]. This article records the official 12,099,499 figure.
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It is second as the outstanding official 12,099,499-seat total, a labelled 2025 fact, and a necessary counterpart to Fukuoka to Tokyo Haneda [1]. A later official annual revision will belong in a revision of the cell.
OAG's Busiest Flight Routes of 2025 is the source [1].
3. Fukuoka to Tokyo Haneda
Fukuoka to Tokyo Haneda is third, at 11,496,706 scheduled seats in 2025, the official total that OAG also publishes as 11.5 million seats [1]. OAG records that the route grew by 1 percent versus 2024 and exceeded 2019 levels by 1 percent [1]. This article records the official 11,496,706 figure.
It is third as the outstanding official 11,496,706-seat total, a labelled 2025 fact, and a necessary counterpart to Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City [1]. A later official annual revision will belong in a revision of the cell.
OAG's Busiest Flight Routes of 2025 is the source [1].
4. Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City is fourth, at 11,078,775 scheduled seats in 2025 [1]. OAG's official 2025 analysis ranks the route fourth and records a 4 percent increase year on year and an 8 percent increase on 2019 [1]. This article records the official 11,078,775 figure, which matches that official 4 percent increase. It stands above Jeddah to Riyadh.
It is fourth as the outstanding official 11,078,775-seat total, a labelled 2025 fact, and a necessary counterpart to Jeddah to Riyadh [1]. A later official annual revision will belong in a revision of the cell.
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OAG's Busiest Flight Routes of 2025 is the source [1].
5. Jeddah to Riyadh
Jeddah to Riyadh is fifth, at 9,819,558 scheduled seats in 2025 [1]. The route is the outstanding official 2025 leader outside the Asia-Pacific region, and OAG records a 13 percent increase year on year and a 22 percent increase on 2019 [1]. This article records the official 9,819,558 figure.
It is fifth as the outstanding official 9,819,558-seat total, a labelled 2025 fact, and a necessary counterpart to Sydney to Melbourne [1]. A later official annual revision will belong in a revision of the cell.
OAG's Busiest Flight Routes of 2025 is the source [1].
6. Sydney to Melbourne
Sydney to Melbourne is sixth, at 8,951,497 scheduled seats in 2025 [1]. The figure is an official both-directions seat total for that named airport pair, not a passenger-flown count, and not a later unofficial estimate. This article records the official 8,951,497 figure.
It is sixth as the outstanding official 8,951,497-seat total, a labelled 2025 fact, and a necessary counterpart to Tokyo Haneda to Naha [1]. A later official annual revision will belong in a revision of the cell.
OAG's Busiest Flight Routes of 2025 is the source [1].
7. Tokyo Haneda to Naha
Tokyo Haneda to Naha is seventh, at 8,052,864 scheduled seats in 2025 [1]. The figure is an official both-directions seat total for that named airport pair, not a passenger-flown count. This article records the official 8,052,864 figure. It stands just above Mumbai to Delhi.
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It is seventh as the outstanding official 8,052,864-seat total, a labelled 2025 fact, and a necessary counterpart to Mumbai to Delhi [1]. A later official annual revision will belong in a revision of the cell.
OAG's Busiest Flight Routes of 2025 is the source [1].
8. Mumbai to Delhi
Mumbai to Delhi is eighth, at 7,642,016 scheduled seats in 2025 [1]. The figure is an official both-directions seat total for that named airport pair, not a passenger-flown count. This article records the official 7,642,016 figure. It stands just above Beijing Capital to Shanghai Hongqiao.
It is eighth as the outstanding official 7,642,016-seat total, a labelled 2025 fact, and a necessary counterpart to Beijing Capital to Shanghai Hongqiao [1]. A later official annual revision will belong in a revision of the cell.
OAG's Busiest Flight Routes of 2025 is the source [1].
9. Beijing Capital to Shanghai Hongqiao
Beijing Capital to Shanghai Hongqiao is ninth, at 7,454,950 scheduled seats in 2025, the official total that OAG also publishes as 7.5 million seats and as China's busiest domestic route in that year [1]. OAG records that capacity declined by 3 percent compared with 2024 and remained 8 percent below 2019 [1]. This article records the official 7,454,950 figure.
It is ninth as the outstanding official 7,454,950-seat total, a labelled 2025 fact, and a necessary counterpart to Shanghai Hongqiao to Shenzhen [1]. A later official annual revision will belong in a revision of the cell.
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OAG's Busiest Flight Routes of 2025 is the source [1].
10. Shanghai Hongqiao to Shenzhen
Shanghai Hongqiao to Shenzhen is tenth, at 7,138,673 scheduled seats in 2025, the official total that OAG also publishes as 7.1 million seats [1]. OAG records that capacity on the route grew by 4 percent year on year and sat 14 percent above pre-pandemic levels [1]. Hong Kong to Taipei, at 6,832,683 seats or about 6.8 million seats, is the outstanding official cross-border route of 2025 and sits just outside this overall ten [1]. This article records the official 7,138,673 figure as the last named airport pair in the ranking.
It is tenth as the outstanding official 7,138,673-seat total, a labelled 2025 fact, and a necessary counterpart to Beijing Capital to Shanghai Hongqiao [1]. A later official annual revision, or a later official reported total that belongs above 7,138,673 seats, will belong in a revision of the ten.
OAG's Busiest Flight Routes of 2025 is the source [1].
Conclusion
A 2026 busiest-air-routes list has to keep Jeju to Seoul Gimpo at the official 14,384,766 scheduled seats reported for 2025, keep the ranking on named airport pairs and scheduled seats, and refuse to treat a passenger-flown total or a later monthly snapshot as a silent official cell [1]. Sapporo New Chitose to Tokyo Haneda, Fukuoka to Tokyo Haneda, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, Jeddah to Riyadh, Sydney to Melbourne, Tokyo Haneda to Naha, Mumbai to Delhi, Beijing Capital to Shanghai Hongqiao, and Shanghai Hongqiao to Shenzhen complete a named ten in which official 2025 seat totals are stated in the open [1]. The useful habit is a dated official seat total, a named airport pair, and a refusal to mix a passenger-flown count into a current official cell.
A later official annual revision will belong in a revision of a cell; it will not change the method. Those labelled official totals are the spine of the list, and they will still be the spine after a later OAG annual report has restated a seat figure for a later year.
- ^ [1] OAG, Busiest Flight Routes of 2025, scheduled seats in both directions, January to December 2025: Jeju to Seoul Gimpo, 14,384,766; Sapporo New Chitose to Tokyo Haneda, 12,099,499, also published as 12.1 million; Fukuoka to Tokyo Haneda, 11,496,706, also published as 11.5 million; Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, 11,078,775, fourth and up 4 percent on 2024; Jeddah to Riyadh, 9,819,558; Sydney to Melbourne, 8,951,497; Tokyo Haneda to Naha, 8,052,864; Mumbai to Delhi, 7,642,016; Beijing Capital to Shanghai Hongqiao, 7,454,950, also published as 7.5 million; Shanghai Hongqiao to Shenzhen, 7,138,673, also published as 7.1 million; Hong Kong to Taipei, 6,832,683, also published as 6.8 million, just outside the overall ten. OAG, Busiest Flight Routes of 2025
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