These domestic airlines carried more passengers by 2024

The number of US domestic airlines rated as “busiest” has changed this year, according to newly released data from OAG.

The company found the route between Atlanta and Orlando toppling last year’s title holder as the No. 1 spot for US domestic routes as part of a wider global report on “busiest” seat-based routes.

“The busiest airlines are defined as those with the largest number of scheduled airline seats in 2024,” the OAG said in a press release. “Data is for flights in both directions on each route and is available on the OAG Schedules Analyzer in the first week of each month.”

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The five “busiest” domestic routes in the US saw more than 16.57 million seats this year, it reported. Include:

Atlanta – Orlando

The ATL-MCO route, with 3.47 million seats, rose one spot in 2024 from second place in last year’s rankings. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has had its current name, inspired by two previous mayors of Atlanta, since the early 2000s. Orlando International Airport’s airport code comes from the air force base it was built on.

Honolulu – Kahului

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 arrives at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on Jan. 20, 2024, Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images / Getty Images)

The route between Honolulu and Kahului was previously ranked No. 1 last year. By 2024, it did not receive nearly 3.37 million scheduled seats, according to the OAG. Daniel K. Inouye International Airport is located on the island of Oahu, while Kahului serves Maui.

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Las Vegas – Los Angeles

A Spirit Airlines flight arrives 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 the OAG ranking of the “busiest” US domestic routes remains the same as last year. Flights between Sin City and the City of Angels fly about 240 kilometers, according to reports.

Denver – Phoenix

FILE PHOTO: Passengers return their luggage at an airport in Denver, Colorado, US, November 24, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt/File Photo (REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt/File Photo/Reuters)

Denver to Phoenix had about 3.21 million scheduled seats by 2024, according to the OAG. That, the report said, showed a 5.7% year-on-year increase.

Los Angeles – San Francisco

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

About 3.16 million airline seats contributed to the Los Angeles to San Francisco route earning its No. 5 spot this year, OAG reported. These two cities are among the hundreds in California, and both see tens of millions of visitors each year.

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Other busy domestic routes by seat capacity include 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 “significant year-over-year capacity increases,” the company found.

“While American Airlines and United have maintained similar capacity on the route from New York La Guardia to Chicago, the addition of 700 flights from Spirit Airlines has helped position it as one of the busiest US routes this year, indicating an improving competitive environment,” it said. OAG Senior Analyst. John Grant explained in a press release.

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

Airlines will see growth in passenger numbers next year

Globally, airlines will see 5.2 billion passengers by 2025, according to the International Air Transport Association.

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