The BUSIEST Flight Route in the U.S. was a 1.5-Hour Flight to Orlando Airport. Yes, Really.

Orlando International Airport (MCO) is a very busy airport, which makes sense as Orlando is a top tourist destination with all the theme parks, beaches, and more nearby.

Flights from all over the world fly into and out of MCO. But did you know the busiest domestic flight route in the United States flies into MCO?

OAG Aviation Worldwide tracks travel throughout the year providing data and insight into flights around the world. The company has now compiled the busiest flight routes globally for 2024 based on the number of seats taken, and the top route in the U.S. may surprise you!

According to the data at OAG, the busiest flight route in the United States in 2024 was between Atlanta, GA and Orlando, FL (ATL — MCO)! Throughout the year, 3,474,713 seats were taken on this route between the two southern airports.

The second busiest route was between Honolulu and Kahului with 3,369,790 seats taken, and the third busiest was between Las Vegas and Los Angeles with 3,354,849 seats taken. The route between Atlanta and Orlando had nearly 100,000 more seats than the second busiest route!

One of the reasons this route may be one of the busiest could be because Atlanta is one of the busiest hubs in the U.S. Lots of flights make connections into Atlanta, so someone from California, for example, might fly into Atlanta and then catch a connecting flight to Orlando.

As you plan your trip to Disney World, take into consideration that the Orlando International Airport is very busy. When you leave Orlando, lines at ticket counters and at security may be long, so you’ll want to plan for ample time to make it to your gate. MCO suggests using the 3-2-1 travel rule:

• 3 — Be at the ticket counter at least 3 hours before your flight.
• 2 — Be at the security checkpoint 2 hours prior to your departure time.
• 1 — Be at your gate 1 hour prior to your departure time.

There’s lots to do in Orlando, including visiting Disney World and Universal Orlando. Flying into MCO is a great option since it is near both of these resorts. If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!

For more Disney news, keep following AllEars!

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Do you fly into MCO when visiting Disney World or Universal Orlando? Let us know in the comments!