The seven busiest domestic routes in Europe
The European flight market is busy both when it comes to domestic and international connections. Find out which are the busiest domestic routes in Europe in this compilation.
Based on the routes with the largest number of scheduled seats, OAG has made a report presenting the busiest domestic routes in Europe. In the list below you can learn more about the seven busiest routes in the continent.*
1. Barcelona (BCN) - Madrid (MAD)
The busiest domestic route in Europe is found in Spain, connecting the major airports of Barcelona and Madrid. A number of airlines offer flights between the two cities, for example operators such as Iberia and Air Europa. If you travel from Barcelona to Madrid by a direct flight, you will be in the air for about an hour and a half.
2. Izmir (ADB) - Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen (SAW)
Several of the busiest routes on the list are Turkish ones, with Izmir to Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen being the top route. The two Turkish cities are located pretty close to each other, making the flight time just about an hour. The route is operated by two different airlines – Pegasus and Turkish Airlines.
3. Izmir (ADB) - Istanbul Ataturk (IST)
Istanbul has more than one large airport, and if you fly from Izmir you can also land on Istanbul Ataturk Airport. This option from Izmir to Istanbul takes a little bit longer with a flight time of about one hour and fifteen minutes. In this case the majority of the routes are operated by Turkish Airlines.
4. Antalya (AYT) - Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen (SAW)
Staying in Turkey, we find another busy route between Antalya and Istanbul – this time with the Sabiha Gokcen Airport. If you want to find a connection between these two cities, you can choose from flying with Turkish Airlines or Pegasus. The flight takes around one hour and fifteen minutes.
5. Paris Orly (ORY) - Toulouse (TLS)
In countries with several large airports around the capital, there is normally one that has a larger focus on domestic routes. In Paris this airport is Orly, and the busiest route in the country is between Paris Orly and Toulouse. This connection is operated by Air France and EasyJet, and takes about one hour and fifteen minutes.
6. Oslo (OSL) - Trondheim (TRD)
The connection between the Norwegian cities Oslo and Trondheim is one of the busiest routes in Europe. This is a fairly short flight, with a direct flight time of just under an hour. The majority of the flights connecting the two cities are operated by Norwegian Air or Scandinavian Airlines.
7. Barcelona (BCN) - Palma (PMI)
With the final busy route in the compilation we return to Spain and Barcelona. This time the connection is between Barcelona and the airport of Palma, Mallorca. If you choose a flight between Barcelona and Palma you will be in the air for a little less than an hour, and will travel with either Vueling, Air Europa or Ryanair.
*The report was established in 2020 and is based on data from 2019. Some routes have been excluded from the list since they are not currently available due to different reasons.
