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The domestic U.S. airline route considered the “busiest” changed this year, according to newly-released data from OAG.
The company found the route between Atlanta and Orlando bumped last year’s titleholder out of the No. 1 spot for U.S. domestic routes as part of a broader global report about the “busiest” routes based on seats.
“The busiest air routes are defined as those with the largest volume of scheduled airline seats in 2024,” OAG said in a press release. “Data is for flights in both directions on each route and is sourced from OAG Schedules Analyser in the first week of each month.”
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The top-five “busiest” routes inside the U.S. saw collective scheduled capacity of more than 16.57 million seats this year, it reported. They included:
Atlanta – Orlando
The air traffic control tower at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) on September 10, 2022. (DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The ATL-MCO route, at 3.47 million seats, climbed one position in 2024 from second-place on last year’s rankings. The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has had its current name, which draws inspiration from two past Atlanta mayors, since the early 2000s. Orlando International Airport’s code stems from the air force base it was built on.
Honolulu – Kahului
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 arrives at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on Jan. 20, 2024, in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images / Getty Images)
The route between Honolulu and Kahului previously ranked No. 1 last year. In 2024, it notched nearly 3.37 million scheduled seats, according to OAG. The Daniel K. Inouye International Airport is located on the island of Oahu, while Kahului operates on Maui.
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Las Vegas – Los Angeles
A Spirit Airlines plane lands at Harry Reid International Airport on October 14, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Las Vegas to Los Angeles’s position on OAG’s ranking for “busiest” U.S. domestic routes remained the same as last year. Planes traveling between Sin City and the City of Angels fly about 240 miles, according to reports.
Denver – Phoenix
FILE PHOTO: Passengers reclaim their luggage at the airport in Denver, Colorado, U.S., November 24, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt/File Photo (REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt/File Photo / Reuters)
Denver to Phoenix had about 3.21 million scheduled seats for 2024, according to OAG. That, the report said, marked a 5.7% increase year-over-year.
Los Angeles – San Francisco
Aerial view of the business district in Downtown of Los Angeles in background from Lincoln Heights neighborhood. (iStock / iStock)
Roughly 3.16 million airline seats contributed to the Los Angeles to San Francisco route earning its No. 5 spot this year, OAG reported. The two cities are among some of the largest in California, with both seeing tens of millions of visitors each year.
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Other busy domestic routes by seat capacity included New York JFK – Los Angeles, New York La Guardia – Chicago O’Hare, Atlanta – Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta – New York La Guardia and Denver – Las Vegas this year, according to OAG.
The LGA-ORD route “had the biggest increase in capacity year on year,” the firm found.
“Although American Airlines and United maintained similar route capacity from New York La Guardia to Chicago, the addition of 700 flights from Spirit Airlines helped position it as one of the busiest U.S. routes this year, pointing to an evolving competitive landscape,” OAG Chief Analyst John Grant explained in a press release.
Among international flight routes, Hong Kong to Taipei received the title of “busiest international airline route” for the year, per the report. It had 6.8 million seats.
Airlines set to see growth in passenger numbers next year
Globally, airlines will see 5.2 billion passengers in 2025, according to a projection from the International Air Transport Association.
Those travelers will be carried on some 40 million flights, it predicted.
