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Between June 2024 and May 2025, more than three million passengers traveled daily on flights to, from, and within the United States. This data is based on US Department of Transportation statistics that tracked every airport pair with at least ten daily passengers, totaling over 5,000 routes.
The passenger figures account for both local travelers flying directly between two airports and those making connections to other destinations across the country. The importance of transit traffic was highlighted by the dominance of major fortress hubs—airports where a single carrier operates between 72% and 88% of flights.
According to the analysis, New York JFK to London Heathrow was the most popular route in this period, with an average of 8,760 daily passengers. This figure includes all travelers using these airports as part of their journey, not just those flying point-to-point. British Airways plans to operate nine daily departures on this route next summer as it and Delta discontinue service between London Gatwick and JFK. "Its pole position is partly because this examination is at the airport level. The results would be very different at the city level. They'd also vary if only local traffic were considered, rather than the whole market. That is why Los Angeles to JFK is not the top domestic airport pair. Atlanta to Orlando is, but only because six in ten passengers connected elsewhere. It'd only rank 40th or so for local passengers."
