Dubai International Airport was the world's busiest for international flights in May, according to aviation intelligence firm the Official Airline Guide (OAG).
Topping the list with 1,895,866 scheduled seats, Dubai was well before second place, Istanbul Ataturk Airport, which recorded 1.3 million seats. Rounding out the rest of the top five busiest airports in the world for international flights were Hamad International Airport in Doha, Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam and Germany's Frankfurt airport.
London's Heathrow Airport, which was the busiest airport in the same month in 2019, before the global pandemic hit, slid to seventh position with just 747,420 seats listed for the UK's busiest airport in May.
Busiest international routes
Dubai also made it to the top 10 busiest international routes, with flights from Cairo to Dubai, and from the Egyptian capital to Riyadh featuring on the list for May. Dubai to Riyadh was another popular route for air travel.
Four of the top 10 busiest international air routes start or end in the US, reflecting a growing demand for outbound leisure travel from the states. No European air routes ranked in the top 10 list in May.
According to OAG, the busiest route for international travel in May was from Russia to Ukraine.
More than 285,000 travellers flew from Moscow to Simferopol, the Crimean capital located in Ukraine. The route also ranked in second place for travellers flying in the opposite direction, with more than 197,000 seats booked. Flights to and from the Crimean capital have increased since Turkey went into lockdowns in April and May.
Elsewhere, travellers are headed to San Juan in Puerto Rico from Orlando, Florida, which ranked as the third busiest international route in May, followed by Cairo to Jeddah, with 176,685 seats recorded over the month.
Here are the top 10 busiest international routes in May:
1. Moscow, Russia to Simferopol, Ukraine
2. Simferopol, Ukraine to Moscow, Russia
3. Orlando, Florida to San Juan, Puerto Rico
4. Cairo, Egypt to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
5. Houston, Texas to Mexico City, Mexico
6. Cairo, Egypt to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
7. New York, US to Santiago, Chile
8. Dubai, UAE to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
9. New York, US to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
10. Cairo, Egypt to Dubai, UAE
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