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It maintained a total connectivity score nearly 40% higher than the runner-up, Shanghai Pudong International Airport in China.

South Korea’s Incheon International Airport ranked third overall, followed by China’s Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in fourth place, according to the index released on Sept. 7.

Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, was in fifth place.

Asian gateways filled the remaining top 10 positions, including Singapore Changi, Beijing Capital, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Tokyo Haneda, and Hong Kong International Airport.

They also swept the list in terms of strongest growth.

Shanghai Pudong (+32%) earned the title of “Most Improved Airport,” followed by Kuala Lumpur (+30%) and Hong Kong (+28%).

Growth extended across all airport categories and all tiers, with 74% of the 315 airports surveyed recording positive connectivity gains.

In the 25 to 40 million passenger category, Vietnam’s Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi and Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City ranked among the most improved airports alongside Abu Dhabi.

Kolkata in India, Sharjah in the UAE, and Sanya Phoenix in China led gainers in the 15 to 25 million passenger segment.

Smaller hubs handling 1 to 15 million passengers also stood out as emerging gateways, led by Da Nang and Phu Quoc in Vietnam, Surabaya in Indonesia, Medina, and Muscat.

Air connectivity in the Asia-Pacific kept growing in early 2026 despite global economic challenges and regional conflicts, rising by 0.5% in H1 as passenger traffic rose by 1.6% year-on-year.

But in the Middle East, connectivity fell by 23% as the ongoing conflict forced airlines to cancel flights and alter flight routes.

ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East director general Stefano Baronci said the region has moved past capacity rebuilding and is now preparing for long-term growth.

With regional passenger traffic expected to reach 11 billion over the next 30 years, airports are focusing on upgrading infrastructure, improving flight reliability, and making better use of airport capacity.