The Mexico City International Airport (AICM) is the complex that offers the greatest air connectivity in the world outside of the United States , which ranks eighth in the Top 50 International Airport Megahubs ranking, carried out by the English firm OAG.
The AICM advanced seven places compared to position 15 in the ranking, where it was located in 2019. According to the study, the advance of the airport was due to the fact that Mexico maintained its borders without restrictions for the entry of foreign tourists during the entire season. pandemic , which added to the fact that services have almost recovered their pre-COVID-19 levels.
“Although the number of international destinations is only half of where it was, the number of possible connections fell by only 16% , which has boosted the AICM in the rankings and has demonstrated the high level of connectivity it has achieved since its inception. operation”, refers the analysis.
AICM is the only non-US airport in the top 10 ranking, led by Chicago O’Hare International Airport , which on its busiest days can handle 43,350 potential connections within a six-hour period. Chicago O’Hare was followed by Dallas Fort Worth International Airport , in Texas, and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport .
The dominance of US airports is explained by a combination of fewer international destinations with a more robust domestic air market , which has led US terminals to increase their operations.
In addition, the Cancun International Airport climbed to position 46 from the 78th place it occupied as an international hub in 2019. In the Latin American region, the AICM and the Cancun Airport occupy the first and fourth positions, respectively.
European airports have recorded the biggest drops in terms of connectivity. London Heathrow Airport , in the United Kingdom, went from occupying the first position in 2019 to 22 this year, because although it has maintained almost the same number of destinations offered in 2019, the number of possible connections on a day of high activity has dropped 40% as a result of itinerary reductions, which have particularly affected short-haul routes with high frequencies.
Similarly, Frankfurt Airport in Germany fell from second to 30th position, while Amsterdam Airport Schipol in the Netherlands dropped from position 4 to 31st.
The AICM also ranked eighth in the ranking of the 25 international hubs for low-cost airlines, currently led by Indira Gandhi and Chhatrapati Shivaji airports in India .
