Interactive Travel

Air Connectivity Boomed in 2025. Then Geopolitics Hit the Middle East Hard

A widening gap opened between the two regions: the Middle East's connectivity rose 21% on the strength of Gulf carriers, while Asia-Pacific grew 10%. Early data

Akhyari Hananto

September 13, 2026 4:37 PM GMT+7

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Data Sources

Data and figures in this article are drawn from the Air Connectivity Index published by Airports Council International Asia-Pacific & Middle East (ACI APAC & MID) on 7 September 2026, covering 315 airports across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

A widening gap opened between the two regions: the Middle East's connectivity rose 21% on the strength of Gulf carriers, while Asia-Pacific grew 10%. Early data for 2026 shows why that gap matters.

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