Heathrow has been overtaken as the world's busiest airport for international passengers, with South Korea's Incheon Airport taking the top spot for the first half of 2026, according to preliminary figures from the Airports Council International (ACI) reported on Friday 14 August.
Incheon served 38.4 million international passengers between January and June 2026, edging out Heathrow's 37.8 million by around 600,000 passengers. Singapore's Changi Airport was third with 34.5 million passengers, the Independent reported.
The shift is largely attributed to the US-Iran conflict, which has pushed passengers away from Middle Eastern hubs such as Dubai and toward alternative Asian routes through Incheon. Dubai International, which held second place on full-year figures in 2024 and 2025, is forecast to drop out of the top five this year.
Heathrow was also overtaken by Istanbul Airport as Europe's busiest hub last month. Separate ACI figures show Istanbul handled 8.15 million passengers in July against Heathrow's 7.9 million, according to the Independent and News18.
In response, Heathrow renewed its call for airport expansion. "Heathrow is operating at capacity," the airport said in a statement. "The case for expansion has never been clearer, as Heathrow was overtaken in July by Istanbul airport as the busiest hub in Europe. Our plans will ensure the country gets the infrastructure it needs to stay competitive and will deliver all-important economic growth."
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander opened a consultation on the renamed Heathrow expansion national policy statement in Ju