San Diego International is the Most Connected Low-Cost Megahub Outside of Asia

OAG released its Megahubs Index. The analysis reveals the Top 50 most internationally connected airports in the world and the Top 25 most domestically connected airports in the U.S.

Chicago O’Hare (ORD; Domestic Connectivity Index: 459) leads North America in connectivity for the fourth consecutive year and is the third most internationally connected airport in the world. On the busiest day in aviation this year, 83,580 domestic connections were possible within a three-hour window at ORD – two percent more than last year. United Airlines operates the majority of flights at O’Hare at 48 percent, down two percent from 2018.

San Diego International (SAN; International Connectivity Index: 83), which is growing at a rate of five percent, ranked fifth in the Top 25 Low-Cost Megahub rankings, making it the highest ranked LCC airport in the Americas. Southwest is the dominant carrier at SAN, with a 39 percent share of seats.

“O’Hare’s continued leadership on the world stage and locally in North America is impressive. Its connectivity network remains one of the best in the world,” said John Grant, senior analyst at OAG. “Hubs like Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, Houston and Atlanta continue to play a major role for travel, trade and commerce globally – essentially serving as a one-stop connectivity point to nearly every major city in the world.”

Aside from O’Hare, 13 other North American airports made OAG’s list of Top 50 Global Megahubs, including Toronto Pearson (YYZ; ICI:251), Atlanta (ATL; ICI:247), Los Angeles (LAX; ICI:219), New York John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK; ICI:186) and Miami (MIA; ICI:184). Chicago O’Hare and Atlanta each finished one spot lower on the world stage compared to 2018, finishing third and eighth respectively in 2019.