Shanghai Pudong International Airport has retained its position as the most connected airport in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the latest Air Connectivity Index released by Airports Council International Asia-Pacific & Middle East on Sept 7.

In the combined Asia-Pacific and Middle East ranking, Dubai International Airport placed first, followed by Pudong and Incheon International Airport.

Pudong was also recognized as the most improved airport in terms of air connectivity across the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

The index covers 315 airports and evaluates factors such as network scale and frequency, the economic weight of destinations, and the quality and efficiency of connections. Overall air connectivity across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East grew by 11 percent in 2025, with Asia-Pacific up 10 percent and the Middle East up 21 percent.

A growing global network

In 2025, scheduled flights from Pudong airport connected Shanghai with 291 destinations across 53 countries, a record high for the number of countries served.

The airport handled more than 84.99 million passenger trips and over 4.09 million metric tons of cargo and mail during the year. Transfer passengers accounted for 16.2 percent of total passenger traffic.

Its international network has continued to expand, adding new medium- and long-haul destinations such as Belgrade in Serbia, Casablanca in Morocco, Geneva in Switzerland, Dublin in Ireland, Tbilisi in Georgia, and Krasnoyarsk in Russia, as well as new passenger routes to Shymkent and Almaty in Kazakhstan, Tashkent in Uzbekistan, and Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia.

The Shanghai–Auckland–Buenos Aires service is also scheduled to increase from two to four flights per week by the end of 2026.

Easier transfers through Shanghai

Growing connectivity is also bringing more passengers through Shanghai.

On Sept 4, Pudong airport became China’s first airport port of entry to surpass 25 million inbound and outbound passenger trips in 2026, reaching the milestone six days earlier than in 2025.

More than 2.8 million transfer passengers have benefited from the 24-hour direct-transit policy, which exempts them from visa and border inspection procedures.

Transfer options at the airport are also expanding. Cross-airline and cross-terminal connections, along with services that let eligible passengers check in once and have their baggage transferred to their final destination, are making connections between domestic trunk routes and long-haul international flights more convenient.

In 2025, 110 airlines operated scheduled services at Pudong airport. Since last year, 13 passenger and cargo carriers have launched services at Pudong.

As its route network continues to expand, Pudong airport is further strengthening Shanghai's role as an international aviation gateway.

Sources: Shanghai Airport Authority, Airports Council International Asia-Pacific & Middle East