An Airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. It is part of a hub and spoke model, where travelers moving between airports not served by direct flights change planes en route to their destination.

Some airlines may use only a single hub, while other airlines use multiple hubs. Hubs are used for both passenger flights as well as cargo flights.

Many airlines also utilize focus cities, which function much the same as hubs, but with fewer flights. Airlines may also use secondary hubs, a non-technical term for large focus cities. Examples include British Airways at Manchester International Airport and US Airways at Pittsburgh International Airport.

Some of the major airlines' most significant hubs are known as fortress hubs; such airports are typically dominated by a single airline, which can fly upwards of 70% of a fortress hub airport's traffic. Examples include Northwest Air Lines' hub in Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, Delta Air Lines' (DL) hub in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and American Airlines' (AA) hub in Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Some observers argue that the existence of such hubs can stifle competition; ProAir's battle with Northwest when it briefly flew out of Detroit City Airport is often cited as an example. Northwest was able to outcompete the short-lived discount carrier by matching its fares and offering more frequent flights.

Major passenger airlines and their hubs

North America

• Aeroméxico (AM) uses Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX), General Mariano Escobedo International Airport (MTY), and Hermosillo International Airport (HMO).
• Air Canada (AC) uses Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Vancouver International Airport (YVR), and Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) (and to a lesser extent Calgary International Airport (YYC)).
• Alaska Airlines (AS) uses Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Portland International Airport (PDX), and Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) (and to a lesser extent Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)).
• American Airlines (AA) uses Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Lambert-Saint Louis International Airport (STL), Miami International Airport (MIA) and Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU) (and to a lesser extent John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Logan International Airport (BOS), and La Guardia Airport (LGA)).
• ATA Airlines (TZ) uses Chicago Midway Airport (MDW) and Honolulu International Airport as an "unofficial" focus city.
• Continental Airlines (CO) uses Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and Hopkins International Airport (CLE). Continental Micronesia, a subsidiary, uses Guam's Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM).
• Delta Air Lines (DL) uses Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) (the world's largest hub), Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). Delta Shuttle runs between Logan International Airport (BOS), La Guardia Airport (LGA), and Reagan National Airport (DCA).
• JetBlue Airways (B6), a low-fare airline, mostly runs point-to-point service, but has hub-like operations in John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Logan International Airport (BOS).
• Mexicana (MX) uses Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX) and Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport (GDL).
• Midwest Airlines (YX) uses General Mitchell International Airport (MKE) and Kansas City International Airport (MCI).
• Northwest Airlines (NW) uses Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), Memphis International Airport (MEM), and Tokyo's Narita International Airport (NRT).
• United Airlines (UA) uses O'Hare International Airport (ORD), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Denver International Airport (DEN), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and Tokyo's Narita International Airport (NRT).
• US Airways (US) uses Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), and Las Vegas's McCarran International Airport (LAS). Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) used to serve as a hub, but it has since been downgraded to a focus city/secondary hub. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is also a focus city. US Airways Shuttle runs between Boston's Logan International Airport (BOS), New York City's La Guardia Airport (LGA), and Washington, D.C.'s Reagan National Airport (DCA), all of which are considered by the airline to be focus cities. PHX and LAS were inherited from the airline's merger with America West Airlines.

South America

• Aero Continente used Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) as a hub
• Avianca (AV) uses El Dorado International Airport (BOG).
• Copa Airlines (CM) uses Tocumen International Airport (PTY).
• LAN (LA) uses Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL). LAN Peru, a subsidiary, uses Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM).
• TAM Brazilian Airlines (JJ) uses Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) and Congonhas Domestic Airport (CGH).
• Varig (RG) uses Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) and Galeão - Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport (GIG).

Europe

• Aer Lingus (EI) uses Dublin International Airport (DUB) and Cork International Airport (ORK).
• Aeroflot (SU) uses Moscow-Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO).
• Air France-KLM (AF, KL) uses Paris Charles De Gaulle International Airport (CDG) and Amsterdam-Schiphol International Airport (AMS).
• Alitalia (AZ) uses Milan-Malpensa International Airport (MXP) and Rome Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport (FCO).
• Austrian Airlines (OS) uses Vienna International Airport (VIE).
• British Airways (BA) uses London Heathrow Airport (LHR), London Gatwick Airport (LGW), and Manchester International Airport (MAN).
• bmi (BD) uses Manchester International Airport (MAN) and London Heathrow Airport (LHR).
• Czech Airlines (OK) uses Prague Ruzyne International Airport (PRG).
• Finnair (AY) uses Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (HEL).
• Iberia Airlines (IB) uses Madrid Barajas International Airport (MAD) and Honduras's San Pedro Sula International Airport (SAP).
• Jat Airways (JU) uses Belgrade Airport (BEG).
• LOT Polish Airlines (LO) uses Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport (WAW).
• Lufthansa (LH) uses Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) and Munich Franz Josef Strauß International Airport (MUC).
• Malév Hungarian Airlines (MA) uses Budapest Ferihegy International Airport (BUD).
• Olympic Airlines (OA) uses Athens Eleftherios Venizelos Airport (ATH).
• Portugalia (NI) uses Lisboa Portela Airport (LIS).
• Scandinavian Airlines System (SK) uses Stockholm-Arlanda Airport (ARN) and Copenhagen Airport (CPH) (and to a lesser extent Oslo Airport, Gardermoen (OSL)).
• SN Brussels Airlines (SN) uses Brussels International Airport (BRU).
• Spanair (JK) uses Madrid Barajas International Airport (MAD) and Barcelona El Prat International Airport (BCN).
• Swiss International Airlines (LX) uses Zurich International Airport (ZRH) (and to a lesser extent Geneva Cointrin International Airport (GVA)).
• TAP Portugal (TP) uses Lisboa Portela Airport (LIS) and Oporto Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO) .
• TAROM Romanian Air Transport (RO) uses Henri Coandă International Airport as a principal hub and Cluj-Napoca International Airport as a second hub.
• Virgin Atlantic (VS) uses London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and London Gatwick Airport (LGW).
• Virgin Express (VEX) uses Brussels International Airport (BRU).

Africa and Middle East

• Egyptair (MS) uses Cairo International Airport (CAI).
• El-Al (LY) uses Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV).
• Emirates (EK) uses Dubai International Airport (DXB).
• Etihad Airways (EY) uses Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH).
• Gulf Air (GF) uses Bahrain International Airport (BAH), Muscat Seeb International Airport (MCT) and Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH).
• Kenya Airways (KQ) uses Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO).
• Kuwait Airways (KU) uses Kuwait International Airport (KWI).
• Qatar Airways (QR) uses Doha International Airport (DOH).
• Saudi Arabian Airlines (SV) uses King Khalid International Airport (RUH).
• South African Airways (SA) uses Johannesburg International Airport (JNB) and Cape Town International Airport (CPT) (and to a lesser extent Durban International Airport (DUR).

Asia

• Air China (CA) uses Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK).
• Air India (AI) uses Mumbai-Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM), Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), and to some extent Chennai-International Airport (MAA)
• All Nippon Airways (NH) uses Tokyo-Narita International Airport (NRT), Tokyo-Haneda Airport (HND), Osaka-Kansai International Airport (KIX), and Osaka-Itami Airport (ITM).
• Asiana Airlines (OZ) uses Seoul-Incheon International Airport (ICN) and Seoul-Gimpo Airport (GMP).
• Cathay Pacific (CX) uses Hong Kong International Airport (HKG).
• China Airlines (CI) uses Taipei Chiang Kai Shek International Airport (TPE).
• China Eastern Airlines (MU) uses Shanghai-Pudong International Airport (PVG).
• China Southern Airlines (CZ) uses Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN).
• Eva Air (BR) uses Taipei Chiang Kai Shek International Airport (TPE).
• Japan Airlines (JL) uses Tokyo-Narita International Airport (NRT), Tokyo-Haneda Airport (HND), Osaka-Kansai International Airport (KIX), and Osaka-Itami Airport (ITM).
• Korean Air (KE) uses Seoul-Incheon International Airport (ICN) and Seoul-Gimpo Airport (GMP).
• Malaysia Airlines (MH) uses Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL).
• Philippine Airlines (PR) uses Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL).
• Singapore Airlines (SQ) uses Singapore Changi Airport (SIN).
• Thai Airways International (TG) uses Don Muang Bangkok International Airport (BKK).
• Vietnam Airlines (VN) uses Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) and Noi Bai Airport
• Garuda Indonesia (GA) uses Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK).

Oceania

• Air New Zealand (NZ) uses Auckland International Airport (AKL) (and to a lesser extent Christchurch International Airport (CHC) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)).
• Qantas (QF) uses Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) and Melbourne Airport (MEL) in Australia and Singapore (SIN)(and to a lesser extent Perth Airport (PER)).
• National carriers from other countries use their own major (inter)national airport(s).

Interesting facts

• 29 of the 30 busiest airports in the world (with the exception of Orlando International Airport) serve as hubs for one or more major airlines.
• US Airways has the highest percentage of traffic for any single airline at any international airport (unconfirmed), occupying 72 (plus 1 shared with Lufthansa) out of 85 total gates and accounting for approximately 90% of traffic at Charlotte Douglas International Airport**.

**Source: City of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County, May 2005; USAirways.com, June 2005

See also

• Focus city

External links

• How Airline Hubs Work

Airlines | Airports

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