(Getty Images)

The world’s most popular airline routes are almost all in the Asia-Pacific region

Only one trip in the top 10 lands in North America.

12/17/24 10:16AM

The holiday season is always a pretty hellish period for traveling in the US, but even the busiest flight paths America has to offer can’t hold a cabin light to the world’s most popular routes, like Hong Kong to Taipei, which had a staggering 6.78 million seats scheduled in 2024.

That’s per OAG’s latest annual report on the busiest flight routes in the world, with the travel-data company’s scheduled flight figures revealing that 7 of the top 10 most popular round trips were all within the Asia-Pacific region. Another two, Dubai to Riyadh and Cairo to Jeddah, were in the Middle East, while JFK to London Heathrow was the only international flight from North America and Europe to make it into the annual ranking.

International flight routes chart — Sherwood News

While the 4.01 million scheduled seat tally for the transatlantic route is still a lot — equivalent to roughly 11,000 people taking that flight every day — it’s not that far ahead of the passenger count for America’s most popular domestic routes. There were 3.48 million scheduled seats for passengers looking to go between Atlanta and Orlando in 2024, for instance, while those who wanted to make the journey from Sin City to Tinseltown would be on America’s third busiest airline route, with 3.36 million scheduled seats between LAS and LAX.

Domestic flight routes chart — Sherwood News

Jake Lahut

PAIN AT THE PUMP

4/29/26

Analyst: US could see $5 gas by Memorial Day, $6 per gallon on the table

Gas could hit $5 per gallon by Memorial Day, $6 by later in the summer: “Nothing’s impossible at this point.”

Gas station in front of the Gordie Howe International Bridge under construction.

Tom Jones4/29/26

The UAE’s OPEC exit will hit the group in the barrels

After just shy of 60 years in OPEC, its membership even predating its status as a nation-state, the United Arab Emirates yesterday announced its shocking departure from the oil production group, effective May 1, as the knock-on effects of the Iran war continue to play out across the Middle East and the energy landscape.

For context, the UAE produces the third-highest amount of oil in the group, per April data and OPEC’s latest set of annual statistics.

According to the cartel’s 2025 Annual Statistical Bulletin, the OPEC group was collectively exporting some 19 million barrels of crude oil a day last year, with the United Arab Emirates accounting for some 14% of that daily output.

UAExit means UAExit

The nation, whose energy minister told Reuters yesterday that the decision was taken “after a careful look at current and future policies related to level of production” and wasn’t made following discussions with any other country, made up a healthy share of the group’s total confirmed crude oil reserves, as well.

Of the 12 nations in the core group, which was founded by just five oil superpowers back in September 1960, only two (Iraq and Saudi Arabia) exported more barrels of crude oil daily, pumping out 3.36 million and 6.05 million barrels, respectively, each day to nations around the world.

For its part, the UAE said it will “continue its responsible role by gradually and thoughtfully increasing production, in line with demand and market conditions,” per the official state news agency. Clearly, the nation now wants a little more control of just how much oil it can pump around the world, with the UAE having to eat a large proportion of lost revenues due to its healthy abundance and OPEC restrictions.