Jakarta, ThedailyID — Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Banten fell to third place among Southeast Asia’s busiest airports in October 2026. Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport overtook the Indonesian airport, while Singapore’s Changi Airport retained the top position.
Data from UK-based aviation analytics firm OAG showed that Soekarno-Hatta actually recorded annual growth in scheduled airline seat capacity. Its capacity increased 3.8% year-on-year to 3.29 million seats in October.
Meanwhile, Changi Airport remained the region’s busiest, with 3.66 million scheduled departure seats. That figure represented a 1.66% increase compared with the same period last year.
Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok secured second place with 3.3 million seats, marking annual growth of 3.9%. As a result, the Thai airport moved ahead of Soekarno-Hatta in the regional rankings.
Kuala Lumpur International Airport followed in fourth place. According to OAG, its seat capacity fell 5.2% to 3.22 million.
Previously, Soekarno-Hatta had maintained its position as Southeast Asia’s second-busiest airport throughout August and September 2026.
Serving as the main aviation gateway to the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area, Soekarno-Hatta also faces operational challenges during extreme weather, particularly during the rainy season.
The airport covers approximately 1,800 hectares, making it the fourth-largest airport in Southeast Asia by land area. Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Suvarnabhumi Airport, and Clark International Airport in the Philippines rank ahead of it.
Despite the changes in individual airport rankings, Southeast Asia’s aviation market continued to expand. Total airline seat capacity across the region reached 50.9 million in October, representing 1.2% growth compared with the same month last year.
