Airfares fall on some of the world’s busiest business travel routes in 2025

10 Feb

As global airfare trends shift on the world’s busiest flight routes in 2025, competition is driving prices down on some of the most heavily travelled sectors while other corridors see rising fares, according to the latest analysis from OAG.

This insight is highly relevant for UK business travel buyers and frequent flyers, because understanding where fares are most competitive or rising – particularly on key international links – can help corporate travel managers optimise budgets and pricing decisions when booking flights for business travel.

The OAG analysis shows that on the very busiest routes by seat capacity, competitive pressure continues to exert downward influence on economy airfares. For example, on the Jeju (CJU) to Seoul Gimpo (GMP) corridor – the busiest flight route in the world by scheduled seat numbers – the average lowest one-way airfare in 2025 was down to $44, an 11 per cent decrease year-on-year.

OAG’s data also highlights wider variations across major corridors. On the domestic Saudi Arabian route between Jeddah (JED) and Riyadh (RUH), capacity grew strongly and average economy fares increased to $95, up 27 per cent compared with 2024.

On the busiest cross-border routes, long-haul links such as New York JFK (JFK) to London Heathrow (LHR) had among the highest average fares at $585 one-way, reflecting demand and limited competitive pricing pressure. By contrast, competition on routes such as Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Singapore Changi (SIN) resulted in lower average fares.

The OAG report shows how these airfare trends are shaped by the number of carriers operating on a route, competitive dynamics and broader economic drivers. Routes with multiple carriers tend to see more aggressive pricing, which can benefit business travellers looking for cost-effective options, while routes with fewer operators often retain higher pricing.

Paul Baker, Sales Director of Global Travel Management, said:

“For UK business travellers, especially those booking long-haul flights or frequent short-haul sectors, understanding fare trends on the busiest routes helps travel managers make informed decisions about when and how to book travel. Being aware of which corridors have downward fare pressure and where competition is strongest directly supports more effective business travel planning.”

If you would like further information about how these global airfare trends might affect your company’s business travel planning and booking strategy, please contact your Global Travel Management Account Manager.