Which airports do you think feature?
SUMMARY
- Dubai is the top airport for international passenger Boeing 777 flights, given how many of the type Emirates has (133) and that the UAE only has international service.
- Tokyo Narita and Singapore are no longer in the top 10 airports list this December, replaced by New York JFK and San Francisco.
- Doha, London Heathrow, and Seoul Incheon are the best-performing airports by increased 777 services versus 2019.
More than 240 airports have scheduled international passenger flights by the Boeing 777 in December, analysis of the latest information available from OAG indicates. This is based on all the different variants: the 777-200, 777-200ER, 777-200LR, 777-300, and 777-300ER.
777 flights: the top international airports
The following table summarizes the leading 10 airports. Perhaps to no one’s surprise, Dubai is firmly the world’s top 777 airport for international operations.
The gap between Dubai and the second-placed London Heathrow is so significant that analysis shows that the UAE airport would also be first if the all world’s domestic Triple 7 flights were considered, too.
Photo: JetKat | Shutterstock
| Airport | December international 777 departures* | Max daily** | Top two airlines*** | Number of 777 international routes (number one)**** |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai | 4,862 | 162 | Emirates, Air France | 115 (Kuwait) |
| London Heathrow | 2,626 | 90 | British Airways, American | 54 (New York JFK) |
| Doha | 1,938 | 67 | Qatar Airways, British Airways | 55 (joint top: JFK, Bangkok, Male) |
| Paris CDG | 1,788 | 61 | Air France, United | 43 (New York JFK) |
| Seoul Incheon | 1,669 | 59 | Korean Air, Asiana | 39 (Ho Chi Minh City) |
| San Francisco | 1,442 | 49 | United, EVA Air | 22 (Taipei) |
| Bangkok | 1,435 | 49 | Thai Airways, EVA Air | 34 (Seoul Incheon) |
| Taipei | 1,375 | 48 | EVA Air, China Airlines | 28 (San Francisco) |
| New York JFK | 1,301 | 42 | American, British Airways | 27 (London Heathrow) |
| Hong Kong | 1,294 | 47 | Cathay Pacific, Thai Airways | 28 (joint too: Bangkok, London Heathrow) |
| * Scheduled non-stop only; double for both ways | ** Any day in the month, even if only once | *** By flights | *** Based on a minimum of three flights |
How has the top 10 changed?
Analysis of December 2023 flights versus 2019 shows that Tokyo Narita and Singapore are no longer on the top 10 list, replaced by JFK and San Francisco. According to OAG information, no US airport made the list just before COVID struck; quite hard to imagine.
Comparing the two months indicates that 777 flights have fallen by 16%, with the world having about one in six fewer departures. Not surprisingly, Hong Kong remains the slowest-recovered airport in the above table, with passenger flights down by over half (53%). Generally, Hong Kong’s recovery continues to be extremely slow.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
The best performers
With 15% more 777 flights now versus December 2019, Doha is the best performer. It is followed by Heathrow (+3%) and Seoul Incheon (+1%).
OAG data shows ‘only’ Qatar Airways and Kuwait Airways used the Boeing widebody in Doha four years ago. While the Kuwait flag carrier is now all A320ceo and A320neo, British Airways, Biman Bangladesh, and Ethiopian Airlines have joined Qatar Airways in using the Triple 7.
Photo: Pawarin Prapukdee I Shutterstock
Doha will see just one (yes, one) Ethiopian 777 passenger flight this festive month: on the 13th. Using the 321-seat 777-200LR, ET432 will depart from Addis Ababa on the 12th and arrive at 02:05 on the 13th, with ET433 leaving 70 minutes later. As ever, it is timed to maximize connectivity across Africa.
Qatar Airways has 14% more 777 flights than four years ago. Interestingly, the same number of destinations see it (52), just with more flights on average. While the airline has 66 777-300ERs and 777-200LRs in passenger use, only departures by the 777-300ER have grown – services on the smaller LR variant remain down by more than a fifth.
What do you make of it all? Let us know by leaving a comment.
About The Author
James Pearson(1850 Articles Published)
Route Development Analyst – James lives and breathes route development. Educated in Air Transport Management at Loughborough and Cranfield, James was Market Opportunity Analyst at London Luton Airport and Chief Analyst at anna.aero.
Now writing data-driven analysis for Simple Flying. Based near London, UK.
Why Does The New York Area Have So Many Airports?
The Big Apple certainly needs all the capacity that it can handle!
BY JAKE HARDIMAN AND JOSHUA KUPIETZKY
SUMMARY
- Many large cities have multiple major airports or hubs.
- Each of the three main airports in New York serves a specific purpose.
- Newark recently opened a new terminal, and JFK is undergoing a $19 billion renovation.
Many large cities are served by several different airports, including the likes of London, Beijing, and Tokyo, to name just a few. While this could complicate travel and connections for some travelers, there is a reason why they exist. The New York area has three primary commercial airports: LaGuardia (LGA), John F. Kennedy International (JFK), and Newark Liberty International (EWR).
All three airports opened at different times and for various reasons, but they continue to serve specific roles for the city that never sleeps. With this in mind, let’s take a closer look into why exactly the New York area has so many airports.
Multiple airports in one city
New York is far from alone in having multiple airports, as, in the US, cities such as Washington DC, Houston, Chicago, and Los Angeles also have more than one significant hub. The reason for the numerous facilities in New York is somewhat historical and functional. New York Municipal Airport opened in 1929 as a private airfield, but in 1939, due to its proximity to the city, it became a commercial airport.
Love aviation history? Discover more of our stories here.
Photo: Patrick Handrigan | Wikimedia Commons
In 1953, the airport was renamed LaGuardia Airport after the mayor of New York at the time, Fiorello La Guardia. Meanwhile, Newark Liberty International Airport was opened in 1928 under the name Newark Metropolitan Airport. It was built to be New York’s primary aviation gateway, and in the pre-war years, it was considered one of if not the busiest commercial airports in the entire world.
Finally, in 1948, JFK Airport opened under the name New York International Airport, primarily to help ease capacity as air traffic expanded. It was also known as Idlewild until 1963. Expanding an existing airport is challenging, especially when extensive work is necessary. Therefore, building a new airport on open land can be a better option, as embodied by New York’s multiple facilities.
READ MOREThe New York Area’s Airports Ranked By Passenger Numbers
Photo: Nicolas Jehly | Wikimedia Commons
While New York has three major airports, other smaller facilities also feature regular passenger service. These include Westchester County Airport, Stewart International, and Long Island MacArthur Airport. They are mainly used for local travelers rather than longer itineraries, although PLAY uses Stewart International for its flights from Iceland, as does Atlantic Airways from the Faroe Islands.
Long-haul vs short-haul
Even if creating one central airport for New York was an option, it would not make sense, as each of the three main airports serves a specific purpose. For instance, LaGuardia, the closest to the city, mostly features short to medium-haul flights with smaller aircraft. It can accommodate planes as large as the Boeing 767, with which Delta Air Lines previously operated flights from LaGuardia to Atlanta.
The new Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport 🗽 is absolutely fantastic.The architecture, the efficiency, lounge and restaurant offerings, apron views, everything is perfect. 👠For me this ties with LAX’s TBIT and RDU’s main terminal as the best I’ve experienced so far in the US 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ilU110geWB— David from Simply Aviation (@simply_aviation) July 18, 2022
Furthermore, LaGuardia airport has a “perimeter rule” that prevents airlines from flying to airports that are located more than 1,500 miles (2,414 kilometers) away. However, there are two notable exceptions to the rule, with these being flights to Denver International Airport (DEN), as well as any flight operated on Saturdays. Elsewhere, Washington National Airport (DCA) has a similar rule.
Photo: EQRoy | Shutterstock
This is compared with JFK and Newark, which handle larger aircraft on longer routes. The airports are also set up for many passengers, transfers, and international arrivals. As both airports facilitate many connecting flights, airlines must keep them in the same airport, so Newark is a hub for United Airlines. At the same time, JFK is a hub for Delta Air Lines and American Airlines and a focus city for JetBlue.
New York City is home to almost 8.5 million residents, and it also sees huge numbers of tourists come to visit every year. With these factors in mind, having a choice of airport location is a must. After all, if all airport traffic moved in the same direction, this would cause consistent traffic jams, inconveniencing travelers.
Future plans
All three of New York’s airports are established commercial powerhouses and have been catering to the robust travel that the city brings for many years. Recently, Newark opened a new Terminal A as part of the airport’s modernization plan. JFK is also going through a $19 billion renovation that will see the construction of a new Terminal 6 and a new Terminal 1, among other aspects.
Photo: KenzieAbraham | Wikimedia Commons
Competition between the area’s various commercial airports is also continuing to develop. For instance, this summer saw Newark pass JFK in terms of the number of European passenger destinations offered. It will certainly be interesting to see how this situation develops, particularly with certain European carriers also now making use of Stewart International for their New York flights.
What do you make of the New York area’s main commercial airports? How many have you used, and which is your favorite? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!
About The Authors
Jake Hardiman(2424 Articles Published)
Journalist – A graduate in German, Jake has a passion for aviation history, and enjoys sampling new carriers and aircraft even if doing so demands an unorthodox itinerary. A keen amateur photographer, he also recently reached the milestone of flying his 100th sector as a passenger. Based in Norwich, UK.
Joshua Kupietzky(138 Articles Published)
Joshua Kupietzky has a passion for aviation and deep expertise in the aviation industry. He’s been enamored with the facts and figures of the airline industry, and the details of the make and model of commercial aircraft for as long as he can remember. Based in Chicago, US.