London Heathrow fails to make global top ten megahubs index, says OAG

LONDON – London Heathrow Airport is ranked 13 in the new OAG Megahubs Index. Heathrow Airport is the largest Megahub in Europe but fails to make the ‘Top 10’ as US Megahubs continue to grow.

The OAG Megahub Index also indicates that the combined power of London Heathrow, London Gatwick and London Stansted airports, with their collective connectivity for self-connecting passengers travelling between low-cost carriers, also rivals major US hubs such as Chicago O’Hare and Chicago Midway International Airports.

OAG, the global leader in air travel intelligence and analytical services, created its Megahubs Index using OAG Connections Analyser, one of the industry’s most powerful analytics tool. The Megahubs Index ranks the world’s leading airports in terms of connectivity.

John Grant, senior analyst, OAG says: “The importance of well-connected Megahubs continues to increase alongside the need for efficient handling of ever-increasing capacity. We expect the Megahub model will become even more prevalent as major cities add more runways and airport infrastructure to accommodate the increased capacity. These hubs are critical to global airline efficiency and play an essential role in providing travellers with more options for reaching their final destinations.”

In the OAG Megahubs Index, US airports dominate the ‘Top 50’, with eight in the top 10 alone. London Heathrow, a constrained airport, still reaches 13th place in the ‘Top 50’ and is the only European airport in the top 30. London Heathrow has 50% better connectivity than its next closest European rivals, Frankfurt and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airports, ranked 35 and 43 respectively.

Grant continues: “Airports serving more regional markets with high frequency air services score as well or even better than large, high profile airports known for their long-haul international air services. The recent Airports Commission report highlighted the need for connectivity as a major factor in its recommendation for a third runway at London Heathrow and the OAG Index reaffirms the value of connectivity at all of the major London airports.”

“Contributing to the growth of Megahubs are low-cost carriers and the rise in self-connecting passengers. While connections have traditionally been made between airlines through code sharing agreements, today, passengers are increasingly self-connecting between low-cost carriers. Many US airports, such as Chicago Midway and Las Vegas McCarran International, are beginning to facilitate connections between low-cost flights for the traveller. In the UK, London Gatwick has recently launched a dedicated product targeted at self-connecting passengers.”

Top megahubs Europe

The US continues to lead when it comes to making large airports work as Megahubs, and holds the top three spots in the Index. Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) is the largest Megahub in the world, with over 570,000 possible connections between flights arriving at ATL and flights departing within an eight hour window on a single day in August.

Top megahubs: Global

The top three low-cost Megahubs are in the US and are dominated by Southwest Airlines, the original low-cost carrier (LCC). Chicago Midway Airport is the most effective low-cost Megahub in the world amongst the low-cost airline sector. In Europe, Barcelona Airport leads the way, driven by Vueling. In the UK, London Gatwick and London Stansted have a surprisingly low connectivity index.

Top megahubs: Low-cost

Globally, many regions are placing an emphasis on connectivity in an effort to drive increased local traffic, including trade and cargo routes to the city. Istanbul Ataturk Airport (which ranks 29th in the ‘Top 50’ Megahub Index), is the fastest growing Megahub and had four times the number of connections, or over 100,000 more, than its busiest day five years ago. With construction underway of a major new airport, Istanbul is likely to soon enter the ‘Top 10’ Megahubs Index and will certainly usurp London Heathrow in Europe.

Top megahubs: Fastest growing

Theodore Koumelis

Co-Founder & Managing Director - Travel Media Applications | Website | + Posts

Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.

• Aura Aero’s INTEGRAL E performs maiden flight
• Marriott International signs agreement with KEC to open three hotels in Madinah, Saudi Arabia
• All Nippon Airways (ANA) inaugurates direct flight Milano Malpensa – Tokyo Haneda
• IEG announces the 2027 edition of ECVIM-CA 2027 at the Palacongressi di Rimini