The world’s aviation landscape looks a little different this year, with South Korea‘s Incheon International Airport outranking Dubai International as the world’s busiest airport.
According to preliminary data from the Airports Council International (ACI), released by Incheon, the Seoul airport served 38.4 million international passengers during the first six months of 2026. Once confirmed by the ACI in its World Airport Traffic Report (to be released next month), the airport will now rank as the world’s busiest for the first time since opening in 2001.
Dubai International Airport is expected to place outside the top five this year, despite ranking first for international traffic for the past 12 years. The decline follows the outbreak of the US-Iran war, which reconfigured the globe’s skies when it began in February 2026, with ACI data showing the UAE travel hub fell from 7.4 million passengers in February to just 2.5 million in March. Incheon also reported an 18% increase in transfer passengers this year, as many travelers who previously transferred in the Gulf on their way to Europe had to rethink their route amid airspace closures.
This year, London Heathrow is set to rank in second place, recording 37.79 million passengers in the first half of the year, followed by Singapore’s Changi Airport in third, which has seen 34.53 million international passengers pass through its terminals during this period.
It’s not just the war that’s contributed to Incheon’s sharp rise in numbers. According to the airport, an infrastructure expansion (which was completed in 2024) has enabled it to handle a larger traffic load—now serving 101 airlines flying to 158 international destinations. And with a growing global interest in Korean culture, from its TV shows to its music, food, beauty and fashion, it’s little wonder the airport has continued to climb the ranks, placing fifth in 2018 to being named third busiest in 2024 and 2025, and now reaching the top spot.
Before the conflict, Dubai’s global status as a tourism hotspot and destination for transfers was increasing year on year. In April, it was named the world’s busiest airport for international passengers in 2025, with 95.2 million international passengers landing in the city over the course of 12 months. The figure marked an increase of 3.1% from 2024, and a 10.3% rise from pre-pandemic numbers in 2019.
With tensions continuing and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) extending its conflict zone advisory for the Gulf until August 31, it remains unclear when air traffic in the region will return to its pre-war levels.
This article was originally published on Condé Nast Traveller Middle East.
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