Air connectivity grows 11% across Asia-Pacific & Middle East as airports build resilience for the next phase of growth

Middle East posted 21% growth in air connectivity | Asia-Pacific grew 10% in 2025

Airports Council International Asia-Pacific & Middle East (ACI APAC & MID), the trade association representing over 600 airports across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, today released its flagship Air Connectivity Index, recording an average growth of 11% in 2025 across the two regions.

The ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East Air Connectivity Index is a passenger-centric analytical tool to measure the connectivity of airports through network scale and frequency, the economic weight of destinations, and connection quality and efficiency in terms of aircraft type, domestic/international status, number of stops, and alliance membership.

The Middle East posted 21% growth in air connectivity, driven by the expanding reach of Gulf-based carriers, while Asia-Pacific grew 10%, reflecting continued network expansion.

The growth reflects expanding international networks, stronger hub connectivity, and the continued recovery of city-pair connections. As the regions enter the next phase of growth, the focus will be on ensuring that airport and airspace capacity, infrastructure, and the wider policy environment keep pace. The first half of 2026, however, highlights the importance of resilience: Asia-Pacific connectivity remained positive amid a challenging global environment, while in the Middle East the region’s strategic geographic position and strong underlying aviation market continue to support its role as a major global connectivity hub, even as geopolitical developments have created short-term challenges for airline schedules, airspace, and connectivity.

Key findings:

• Across the 315 airports covered by the index, 74% recorded positive connectivity growth in 2025, with the overall index up 11%, moderating from 14% in 2024 as growth settled into a more sustainable trajectory.
• Major hub airports continued to lead, with 83-97% recording growth, benefiting from continued airline network expansion and sustained international travel demand.
• Chinese airports recorded a significant increase in connectivity, with Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) and Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) ranking in the top 10 for total air connectivity in 2025, alongside Hong Kong International Airport (HKG).
• Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (Kolkata, India), Sharjah International Airport and Sanya Phoenix International Airport (Hainan province, China) recorded the strongest improvements among airports handling 15–25 million passengers a year, driven by international network recovery, airline expansion, and rising regional demand.
• Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi), Abu Dhabi International Airport and Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Ho Chi Minh City) were the most improved among airports handling 25–40 million passengers a year.
  Among airports handling 1-5 million passengers a year, Surabaya and Phu Quoc stood out, while Da Nang, Medina and Muscat led the 5–15 million category, all showing notable improvements in connectivity rankings and growing potential as emerging gateways, driven by strategic route expansion, tourism recovery, and regional development.
• Only 51% of the smallest airports (under 1 million passengers a year) recorded an increase in connectivity in 2025, partly reflecting airline route rationalisation, and the closure of several connections.
  Intra-regional flows still account for 91% of departing passenger traffic in Asia-Pacific, up 5% from 2024 and 5% above 2019 levels.
• Intercontinental traffic from Asia-Pacific grew 7% year on year, reaching 12% above pre-pandemic levels. From the Middle East, intercontinental traffic grew 9% year on year and is now 27% above pre-pandemic levels.
• Traffic from Asia-Pacific to Europe, the Middle East, Central & South America, and Africa have exceeded pre-pandemic levels, driven by resurgent demand and improved connectivity, especially via Gulf hubs. North America is the exception, still 9% below 2019 levels.
• International city pairs grew 10% on average in 2025, moderating from 17% in 2024, while domestic city pairs turned positive at 0.8%, recovering from a 1% decline in 2024.

Movers and shakers
Dubai International Airport continues to rank at the top in 2025, followed by Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Incheon International Airport. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport ranks fourth, followed by Hamad International Airport, Singapore Changi Airport, Beijing Capital International Airport, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Tokyo Haneda International Airport and Hong Kong International Airport, completing the top 10 most connected airports across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. The three airports recording the strongest improvements in connectivity in 2025 were Shanghai Pudong International Airport (+32%), Kuala Lumpur International Airport (+30%), and Hong Kong International Airport (+28%).

Stefano Baronci, Director General of ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East, said: “The growth in air connectivity is encouraging. With post-pandemic recovery behind us, 2025 marked a shift from rebuilding capacity to preparing for sustained growth. With passenger volumes across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East projected to reach 11 billion within the next three decades, it is increasingly important that we continue to strengthen connectivity so that aviation can deliver greater choice for passengers and wider economic benefits.”

Hub connectivity
Dubai International Airport once again emerged as the region’s leading hub, with a hub connectivity score close to 40% higher than its nearest competitor. It is followed by Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Incheon International Airport, Hamad International Airport, and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport.

Early momentum for 2026: a complex year marked by geopolitical instability and economic challenges
Despite economic shocks from the conflicts in Europe and the Middle East and changes in US trade policy, Asia-Pacific direct connectivity remained on the positive side, with modest growth of 0.5% in H1 2026 versus H1 2025. The Middle East, by contrast, contracted sharply — down 23% as geopolitical conflict in the region forced airlines to cut schedules and reroute around affected airspace.

Baronci emphasised: “Despite the macroeconomic challenges, the Asia-Pacific region proved resilient in the first half of 2026, with passenger traffic increasing by approximately 1.6% year on year, though the outlook remains challenging. Boosted by growing international demand and a strong domestic traffic base, we still forecast growth in the medium and long term. As the operating environment evolves, the focus is increasingly on how these efforts can support greater resilience and sustainable growth. This includes making better use of existing capacity, strengthening operational reliability, improving the passenger experience, and investing in new infrastructure and technology.”

“ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East recommends strengthening the policy and regulatory environment that enables connectivity growth, including the revision of existing air service agreements, continued easing of visa requirements, and reforms to enhance the slot allocation framework,” Baronci added.

About the ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East Air Connectivity Index

The 2026 edition of the ACI APAC & MID Air Connectivity Index covers 315 airports, 277 in Asia-Pacific and 38 in the Middle East, ranging from under 1 million to more than 95 million passengers a year. It combines direct, indirect and hub connectivity, weighing each available seat by the economic weight of the destination served and the quality of the connection. The study was prepared with PwC.