These domestic air routes carried the most passengers in 2024

The domestic route for U.S. airlines considered the “busiest” changed this year, according to newly released data from OAG.

The company found that the route between Atlanta and Orlando displaced last year’s champion from the number one spot for US domestic routes as part of a broader global report on the “busiest” routes based on seats.

“The busiest air routes are defined as those with the highest volume of scheduled air seats in 2024,” the OAG said in a press release. “The data is for flights in both directions on each route and comes from the OAG Schedule Analyzer in the first week of each month.”

THESE US AIRPORTS RANKED THE HIGHEST IN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

The five busiest routes within the US had a 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, with 3.47 million seats, moved up one position in 2024 from second place in last year’s rankings. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has had its current name, which is inspired by two previous Atlanta mayors, since the early 2000s. The Orlando International Airport code comes from the air force base on which it is located. was built.

Honolulu – Kahului

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 arrives at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on January 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 gained almost 3.37 million scheduled seats, according to the OAG. 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’ position in OAG’s ranking of the “busiest” U.S. domestic routes remained the same as last year. Planes traveling between Sin City and the City of Angels reportedly fly about 240 miles.

Denver – Phoenix

FILE PHOTO: Passengers claim their luggage at the airport in Denver, Colorado, U.S., November 24, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt/File Photo (REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt/File Photo/Reuters)

The Denver to Phoenix trip had about 3.21 million seats scheduled for 2024, according to the OAG. This, according to the report, marked a 5.7% year-over-year increase.

Los Angeles – San Francisco

Aerial view of the business district in downtown Los Angeles with the Lincoln Heights neighborhood in the background. (Stock/iStock)

Approximately 3.16 million airline seats contributed to the Los Angeles to San Francisco route taking fifth place this year, OAG reported. The two cities are among some of the largest in California and both welcome tens of millions of visitors each year.

THESE US AIRPORTS ARE THE WORST FOR FLYING – SEE THE LIST

Other domestic routes filled 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 largest increase in capacity year over year,” the company noted.

“While American Airlines and United maintained similar route capacity from New York La Guardia to Chicago, the addition of 700 Spirit Airlines flights helped position it as one of the busiest routes in the US this year, pointing to an evolving competitive landscape,” said the OAG chief analyst. John Grant explained in a press release.

Among international flight routes, Hong Kong to Taipei received the title of “busiest international air route” during the year, according to the report. It had 6.8 million seats.

Airlines to see growth in passenger numbers next year

Globally, airlines will serve 5.2 billion passengers in 2025, according to a projection by the International Air Transport Association.

Those travelers will be carried on about 40 million flights, he predicted.