[icenspice]

After reading the recent article in BT news on the Singapore-Jakarta-Sydney link, in which SIN-CGK is reportedly SQ’s busiest route, I am wondering about other airlines.

In terms of passenger loads, does anyone have facts and figures, whether domestic, regional or intercontinental?

[esselle]

From memory LHR-CDG was considered to be one of the busiest sectors in Europe before the advent of the Channel tunnel. BA used to run 777’s on it.

[rferguson]

I’d say Sydney – Melbourne would have to definitely be in the top ten. Linking Australia’s two largest cities with no real alternative (high speed rail etc).

Looking at Qantas’ timetable. Qantas/Jetstar departures from Sydney at 0600, 0605, 0615, 0645, 0700 (3 separate flights), 0715, 0730, 0745, 0755, 0800, 0825, 0840, 0845, 0900, 0930, 1000, 1030, 1045, 1100, 1130, 1200, 1210, 1230, 1245, 1300, 1330, 1345, 1400 (two flights), 1430, 1500, 1525, 1530, 1600, 1615, 1630, 1700, 1715, 1725, 1730, 1800, 1825, 1830 (two flights), 1845, 1900, 1915, 1930, 1945, 2010, 2015, 2050, 2145, 2150, 2205.

And some of them are widebodied aircraft!

[AMcWhirter]

referguson – SYD-MEL is a busy route because, as you say, there is no decent surface competition but also because each city has only one airport (for scheduled airline use).

If you consider city pairs (especially between those cities which have more than one airport) there would be different results.

London-Dublin (served by various airlines and by various airports at the UK end) would surely qualify for a very busy international route.

Or what about London-Amsterdam ?

From a UK domestic viewpoint I would have thought London-Edinburgh would be #1.

[Window-seat]

Long haul London New York must be up there for frequency

[Jason.Kaisersmith]

According to wikipedia the busiest route is Seoul <-> Jeju with 11.1 million passengers in 2015
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_busiest_passenger_air_routes

The list is dominated by the far east.

Although Rio de Janeiro <-> São Paulo has the most flights per day @ 284.

LHR -> JFK is the busiest long haul route.

[canucklad]

Hi Alex
I’d definitely say that BA’s busiest short haul route is probably LHR-EDI
Add in LGW, STD, LCY and LTN and you’ve probably got the busiest traffic between 2 cities in Europe.
And one of the reasons why my advice to my Newcastle colleagues, when we’re discussing train tickets, is to always check fares from Waverley to Kings Cross first.

[LuganoPirate]

I don’t know if it’s their busiest, but those airlines that fly to JNB seem to have very good load factors.

[AMcWhirter]

That’s correct, LP. South Africa is one of the European airlines’ most profitable destinations.

[FrequentPR]

AMcWhirter, I hesitate to ‘correct’ a post of yours since the information you give is usually excellent, but for JQ, there is a second airport at the Melbourne end in the form of AVV with JQ flying multiple times a day between SYD and AVV.

However AVV has not been successful with JQ’s flights being subsidised byb the socialist Victorian State Government, and under previous ownership long prior to the takeover by VA, TT withdrawing from Melbourne Avalon.

With VA’s substantial number of flights added in and TT’s as well, MEL – SYD consistently ranks in the top three or four airline routes worldwide in terms of passengers carried.

Sadly, high speed rail has yet to come to Australia but if it did it would be highly likely to markedly reduce the number of MEL – SYD – MEL flights as productivity for businessmen is so much higher with high speed trains on a CBD to CBD basis.

[AMcWhirter]

Thanks for pointing this out, FrequentPR. It’s something I overlooked.

Easily done. For example, I wonder how many overseas travellers realise there are many more flights to EDI from LCY than there are from LHR ?

[FrequentPR]

Very few, AMcWhirter, one would expect – but I would hope more would realise that using the UK’s very good rail network between London and Edinburgh or Glasgow is eminently more sensible and enjoyable (and more productive if one is in business) than flying.

So I’d be far more interested in connections to London’s main rail terminal stations from LHR than I would be in some uncomfortable, prone to delay short haul flight.

[canucklad]

Frequent PR….To an extent, I’d agree with you about the railways, that extent ends at the end of the 1st class door. Without the Scottish Executive package I’m afraid it’s simply an overpriced hell!

And God help you, if you spend a fortune on a flexi ticket and try and enjoy a relaxed journey, joining the train at a midway station on your way to Scotland’s capital. . .

Back to the flights…..
Checking the departure boards at HKG , I recall being amazed and surprised at how many flights were LHR bound. At the time if memory served me right…….

1 QF flight
1 NZ flight
2 BA flights
2 CX flights

And all jumbo’s, at that wasn’t including the flights that weren’t showing on the boards

[AMcWhirter]

canucklad – One airline you omitted is VS. And since you were last there both NZ and QF have quit the route.

But getting accurate figures for a route like HKG-LON is impossible.

Yes it’s easy to obtain the point-to-point passenger numbers but obtaining the numbers of passengers who fly indirectly would be the problem.

[transtraxman]

If you extend the scope of this thread to include “the most requested unserved routes”, you can get some surprises.
anna.aero, which provides network news and analysis, published 5-10-16 an article about the most sought after unserved routes worldwide, covering every region.

http://www.anna.aero/2016/10/05/skyscanner-reveals-users-most-requested-unserved-routes-by-region/

Top of the list is London-Bali at 1.6 million hits while also mentioned are New York-Bangkok and Budapest-New York and others. The service is provided by Skyscanner.

[Author]

Posts