The pandemic means we have a new world’s busiest airport, and it’s not what you’d expect

Senior woman and adult son wearing face mask at airport in fear of coronavirus and travel ban and international trips cancellations for disease control and prevention of COVID-19 outbreak pandemic.

For analysts in the aviation industry, the data does not make happy reading. According to OAG figures, global flight numbers were down 64.5%, 68.6%, and 63.8% year on year for April, May and June respectively, while flights in major markets like Germany, Singapore and the UK were down 90% or more.

Recovery is steady but slow, and the week beginning August 3 still recorded a year on year drop of 47.3%. With so many terminals still filled with grounded planes, there is now a new, and somewhat unexpected name at the top of the busiest airport rankings.