It is expected that the airports are super busy during the holidays, especially in central hubs like New York, London and Paris. Airports in these areas are packed, so one would think that these major cities made to the list of the busiest air routes in the world. Nope, you got it wrong.
According to International Air Transport Association (IATA) report, the most in-demand flight in the world is actually the 280-mile hop from Seoul Gimpo International to Jeju International. The location is not popular to many, but yep, it does exist, and it is very scenic.
Jeju is the capital of Jejudo, an island holiday destination. It is South Korea's answer to Hawaii with volcanic landscapes, underground caves, hiking trails, and beautiful beaches. Jejudo was named among the "New 7 Wonders of Nature" in 2011.
Jejudo may be inarguably amazing, but it also has a dark side. In 1948 and 1949, the South Korean government brutally put down an attempted uprising on the island, killing villagers during the process. Apparently, the island was able to recover from its dark past.
The number of passengers who use Jeju International is actually more than any UK airport bar Gatwick and Heathrow. Telegraph reported that more than 11 million journeys were made between the two South Korean airports in 2015, and with a one-way capacity of 6,561,314 for 2016. Aviation experts say that the figures could read to 13 million this year.
Next on the list is Sapporo-Tokyo Haneda, with 7.8 million. Major cities like New York-Washington DC and London-Paris did not even make it to the top 10.
Completing the list of the busiest air routes are: Fukuoka - Tokyo Haneda; Melbourne - Sydney Kingsford Smith; Taipei Taiwan Taoyuan International - Hong Kong International; Delhi - Mumbai; Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi; Beijing Capital International - Shanghai Hongqiao International; Surabaya - Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta; and Tokyo Haneda - Okinawa Naha.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
