London Heathrow Claims Top Spot for Most Connected Airport Worldwide
Already en route to becoming the world's largest airport, London Heathrow Airport (LHR) was ranked the most internationally connected airport in the world, according to OAG's 2018 Megahubs Index for the second year in a row.
According to the OAG blog, the index is "calculated as the ratio of all possible scheduled international connections that could be made by passengers in a six-hour window to the number of destinations served by the airport." This index number, which for Heathrow is 333, determines that it has the most traffic and variety in locations over any other airport. So, if you're planning on doing some international travel to Europe, the likelihood that you'll have a layover at Heathrow is pretty high.
Heathrow's busiest day from the past year saw more than 66,000 possible international connections between arriving and departing flights. 52% of flights at the airport are operated by British Airways, with the most revenue generated off of the route going to and from John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) in New York. John Grant, senior analyst at OAG, attributes Heathrow's high numbers to the airport's proximity to key Europe, Middle Eastern and African markets and North America. A characteristic that also correlated with a majority of the top 50 "Megahubs" was having a singular airline operate over 40% (or more) of its flights.
Following Heathrow in the rankings is O'Hare Chicago (ORD), with a CI (connectivity index) of 306 — a jump in the rankings from last year's position.
To get a larger sense of OAG's analytics, check out the Megahubs International Index.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app