Dubai named world's busiest airport for international flights in May

The Official Airline Guide also released a list of top international routes, with the most number of flights between Russia and Ukraine

A health worker checks the body temperature of passengers bound for Frankfurt at Dubai International Airport.

Emirates Boeing 777 aircraft are seen on the tarmac at Dubai International Airport.

Passengers bound for Frankfurt board a shuttle bus at Dubai International Airport.

A flydubai aircraft is parked on the tarmac of Dubai International Airport.

Passengers check in at Dubai International Airport.

An information board displays an alert for passengers to maintain distance from others at Dubai International Airport.

Mask-clad passengers bound for Frankfurt walk past check-in counters at Dubai International Airport.

A mask-clad employee walks in front of a flydubai aircraft on the tarmac of Dubai International Airport.

Passengers bound for Frankfurt wait at a terminal of Dubai International Airport.

Passengers bound for Frankfurt wait at a terminal of Dubai International Airport.

Passengers bound for Frankfurt wait at a terminal of Dubai International Airport.

Passengers wait at a terminal at Dubai International Airport, as Emirates resumed a limited number of outbound passenger flights.

An Emirates aircraft takes off from Dubai International Airport.

Emirates Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft are seen on the tarmac at Dubai International Airport as the airline resumed a limited number of outbound passenger flights.

Passengers are assisted at the check-in counter in a terminal at Dubai International Airport.

Passengers have their travel documents checked before departure at Dubai International Airport.

Passengers have their travel documents checked before departure at Dubai International Airport.

Hayley Skirka

Dubai International Airport was the world's busiest for international flights in May, according to aviation intelligence firm the Official Airline Guide (OAG).

Topping the list with 1,895,866 scheduled seats, Dubai was well before second place, Istanbul Ataturk Airport, which recorded 1.3 million seats. Rounding out the rest of the top five busiest airports in the world for international flights were Hamad International Airport in Doha, Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam and Germany's Frankfurt airport.

London's Heathrow Airport, which was the busiest airport in the same month in 2019, before the global pandemic hit, slid to seventh position with just 747,420 seats listed for the UK's busiest airport in May.

Busiest international routes

Three of the world's busiest international routes for air travel in May start or end in Cairo, connecting the Egyptian capital with destinations in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Unsplash

Dubai also made it to the top 10 busiest international routes, with flights from Cairo to Dubai, and from the Egyptian capital to Riyadh featuring on the list for May. Dubai to Riyadh was another popular route for air travel.

Four of the top 10 busiest international air routes start or end in the US, reflecting a growing demand for outbound leisure travel from the states. No European air routes ranked in the top 10 list in May.

According to OAG, the busiest route for international travel in May was from Russia to Ukraine.

More than 285,000 travellers flew from Moscow to Simferopol, the Crimean capital located in Ukraine. The route also ranked in second place for travellers flying in the opposite direction, with more than 197,000 seats booked. Flights to and from the Crimean capital have increased since Turkey went into lockdowns in April and May.

Orlando to San Juan, in Puerto Rico, is the third busiest route for international flights in May 2021. Courtesy Unsplash

Elsewhere, travellers are headed to San Juan in Puerto Rico from Orlando, Florida, which ranked as the third busiest international route in May, followed by Cairo to Jeddah, with 176,685 seats recorded over the month.

Here are the top 10 busiest international routes in May:

1. Moscow, Russia to Simferopol, Ukraine

2. Simferopol, Ukraine to Moscow, Russia

3. Orlando, Florida to San Juan, Puerto Rico

4. Cairo, Egypt to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

5. Houston, Texas to Mexico City, Mexico

6. Cairo, Egypt to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

7. New York, US to Santiago, Chile

8. Dubai, UAE to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

9. New York, US to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

10. Cairo, Egypt to Dubai, UAE

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Read more: 

[ Flydubai adds Sharm El Sheikh to its network ]

[ Craving a holiday? Here's what it's like to pilot a jet from Abu Dhabi to the Maldives ]

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Updated: May 30, 2021, 12:35 PM