Aviation

The world’s 20 busiest international airline flight routes

OAG takes a closer look at the Top 20 busiest international routes by frequency in the 12 months to
February 2018.

These are the world’s busiest trunk routes in terms of the volume of flights that operate on them. Unsurprisingly
the biggest of these routes operate in Asia, with 14 of the Top 20 operating to and from destinations in Asia.
Two operate within Europe, another two operate within North America, and one between North America and
Europe. There is also one route which operates between two destinations in the Middle East.

Using key reports and power tables from OAG Analyser we take a deeper look at these busiest routes, their
profiles in terms of size, carriers which operate them, whether they are growing, to what extent they operate on
time and what aircraft typically operate on the route. We also take a look at how passengers use these routes
to connect onwards to and from other places.

1. Kuala Lumpur-Singapore (30,537 frequencies from March 2017 through February 2018)

2. Hong Kong-Taipei (28,887)

3. Jakarta-Singapore (27,304)

4. Hong Kong-Shanghai Pudong (21,888)

5. Jakarta-Kuala Lumpur (19,849)

6. Seoul Incheon-Osaka/Kansai (17,488)

7. Hong Kong-Seoul Incheon (17,075)

8. New York LaGuardia-Toronto Pearson (16,956)

9. Dubai-Kuwait (15,332)

10. Hong Kong-Singapore (15,029)

11. Bangkok-Singapore (14,859)

12. Bangkok-Hong Kong (14,832)

13. Hong Kong-Beijing (14,543)

14. Dubai-London Heathrow (14,390)

15. Osaka/Kansai-Taipei (14,186)

16. New York JFK-London Heathrow (13,888)

17. Osaka/Kansai-Shanghai Pudong (13,576)

18. Seoul Incheon-Tokyo Narita (13,517)

19. Amsterdam-London Heathrow (13,170)

20. Chicago O’Hare-Toronto Pearson (13,100)

Source : OAG

Aviation

Lost Tool Found in Qantas A380 After 34 Flights

An Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation recently revealed that a Qantas A380 operated 34 flights with a 1.25-meter nylon tool lodged in one of its engines.

This turning tool, used during borescope inspections to rotate the intermediate-pressure compressor, was left behind during scheduled maintenance at Los Angeles on December 6, 2023. It remained inside the engine until it was discovered by maintenance staff during a subsequent check at Los Angeles on January 1, 2024.

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The ATSB report highlights two critical lapses. First, maintenance engineers failed to notice the tool during final checks for foreign objects after the borescope inspection. Second, the lost tool procedure was not activated when the tool was identified as missing.

The certifying engineer ultimately cleared the aircraft for service without accounting for the misplaced tool. During the time qantas films the tool was inside, the A380 completed 34 flight cycles, accumulating nearly 294 hours without any noticeable effect on engine performance.

Although the tool was deformed by high-energy airflow within the engine, there was no reported damage to the engine itself. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell commented.

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“This incident underscores the importance of following established maintenance protocols. Engineers missed the tool during foreign object checks, and the required lost tool procedure wasn’t started after realizing the tool was missing.”

Following the investigation, the airline issued a safety directive, urging all engineering and tool storage teams to adhere strictly to these protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.

A qantas spokesperson stated, “While the tool didn’t impact engine performance, we take this incident very seriously. It is critical to follow the correct lost tool procedures.”