9
Jul
A year ago I posed the question “which countries have flights to the most & least number of other countries?” to launch the Flight Connectivity Index at 30 June 2009. An update of the Flight Connectivity Index at 31 December 2009 revealed significant seasonal shifts for some countries. Since the last update, there have been some significant changes in the connectivity of some hard to reach countries. For details, read on.
Flight Connectivity Index (FCI)
Before I post the stats, here is a quick recap of the index. The Flight Connectivity Index (FCI) value is the number of other countries to which you can fly directly from a given country, based on published schedules of IATA airlines. Domestic flights do not count. To simplify the calculation, countries are defined as members of United Nations, as opposed to using one of the many other country lists available.
With 192 member countries of the UN, the maximum FCI score is 191. Germany is the country with highest FCI at the moment, at 109 (down 1 since December but up 3 on last year). Four countries have no flights and FCI score of 0 – these are Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco and San Marino. The average FCI is 23.7, up 1.4 since December and up 0.7 on last year.
More results after the jump.
The tiny Pacific country of Kiribati has gone from having flights to only 1 other country to now having flights from 5 countries! The home countries of the Lufthansa family of airlines had an interesting mixture of changes from a year ago. Germany up 3, Belgium up 5, Poland up 7, but Slovenia and Switzerland down 3, and Croatia down 1.
China replaces Switzerland in the top 10 most connected country category (relative to a year ago).
| Flight Connectivity Index (FCI) | ||
| Top 10 as at 30 June 2010 | ||
| Rank | FCI | Country |
| 1 | 109 (-1) | Germany |
| 2 | 106 (+1) | France |
| 3 | 105 (-2) | UK |
| 4 | 86 (+2) | USA |
| 5 | 83 (+1) | Italy |
| 6 | 82 (+1) | Netherlands |
| 7 | 81 (+3) | Turkey |
| 8 | 80 (-2) | UAE |
| 9 | 71 (+7) | Spain |
| 10= | 70 (+4) | China |
| 70 (+3) | Russia | |
Lots of changes in the bottom 10 least connected countries. As mentioned already, Kiribati is out of the bottom 10 list. Belize also drops out and Palau joins the list. With the threshold increasing to a FCI score of 4 the “bottom 10″ list is added to by Bhutan, Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe, Suriname and Vanuatu.
| Flight Connectivity Index (FCI) | ||
| Bottom 10 as at 30 June 2010 | ||
| Rank | FCI | Country |
| No flights | ||
| 189= | 0 | Andorra |
| 0 | Liechtenstein | |
| 0 | Monaco | |
| 0 | San Marino | |
| Flights | ||
| 186= | 1 | Lesotho |
| 1 | Swaziland | |
| 1 | Tuvalu | |
| 185 | 2 | Marshall Islands |
| 178= | 3 | Micronesia |
| 3 (+1) | Nauru | |
| 3 | North Korea | |
| 3 | Palau | |
| 3 | Timor-Leste | |
| 173= | 4 | Bhutan |
| 4 | Botswana | |
| 4 (+1) | Comoros | |
| 4 (-1) | Guinea-Bissau | |
| 4 | Sao Tome and Principe | |
| 4 | Suriname | |
| 4 | Vanuatu | |
| 160= | 5 (+1) | Belize |
| 5 (+1) | Dominica | |
| 5 (+4) | Kiribati | |
Finally, here is the full list in country alphabetical order.
| Flight Connectivity Index (FCI) | ||
| as at 30 June 2010 | ||
| Country | FCI | Rank |
| Afghanistan | 14 | 110= |
| Albania | 12 | 122= |
| Algeria | 28 | 59= |
| Andorra | 0 | 189= |
| Angola | 22 | 75= |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 16 | 103= |
| Argentina | 26 | 62 |
| Armenia | 24 | 68= |
| Australia | 32 | 51 |
| Austria | 61 | 14 |
| Azerbaijan | 20 | 82= |
| Bahamas | 6 | 152= |
| Bahrain | 31 | 52= |
| Bangladesh | 17 | 99= |
| Barbados | 14 | 110= |
| Belarus | 22 | 75= |
| Belgium | 67 | 12 |
| Belize | 5 | 160= |
| Benin | 18 | 93= |
| Bhutan | 4 | 173= |
| Bolivia | 9 | 138= |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 10 | 132= |
| Botswana | 4 | 173= |
| Brazil | 33 | 47= |
| Brunei Darussalam | 12 | 122= |
| Bulgaria | 28 | 59= |
| Burkina Faso | 16 | 103= |
| Burundi | 5 | 160= |
| Cambodia | 7 | 147= |
| Cameroon | 20 | 82= |
| Canada | 51 | 18= |
| Cape Verde | 15 | 105= |
| Central African Republic | 9 | 138= |
| Chad | 13 | 116= |
| Chile | 21 | 78= |
| China | 70 | 10= |
| Colombia | 19 | 87= |
| Comoros | 4 | 173= |
| Congo | 18 | 93= |
| Costa Rica | 18 | 93= |
| Côte d’Ivoire | 25 | 63= |
| Croatia | 28 | 59= |
| Cuba | 21 | 78= |
| Cyprus | 36 | 39= |
| Czech Republic | 48 | 22 |
| Denmark | 47 | 23= |
| Djibouti | 8 | 144= |
| Dominica | 5 | 160= |
| Dominican Republic | 24 | 68= |
| DR Congo | 14 | 110= |
| Ecuador | 10 | 132= |
| Egypt | 52 | 17 |
| El Salvador | 11 | 127= |
| Equatorial Guinea | 8 | 144= |
| Eritrea | 9 | 138= |
| Estonia | 21 | 78= |
| Ethiopia | 47 | 23= |
| Fiji | 12 | 122= |
| Finland | 36 | 39= |
| France | 106 | 2 |
| Gabon | 19 | 87= |
| Gambia | 12 | 122= |
| Georgia | 20 | 82= |
| Germany | 109 | 1 |
| Ghana | 25 | 63= |
| Greece | 50 | 20= |
| Grenada | 6 | 152= |
| Guatemala | 11 | 127= |
| Guinea | 14 | 110= |
| Guinea-Bissau | 4 | 173= |
| Guyana | 5 | 160= |
| Haiti | 5 | 160= |
| Honduras | 7 | 147= |
| Hungary | 39 | 36= |
| Iceland | 17 | 99= |
| India | 47 | 23= |
| Indonesia | 19 | 87= |
| Iran | 35 | 43= |
| Iraq | 13 | 116= |
| Ireland | 33 | 47= |
| Israel | 41 | 33= |
| Italy | 83 | 5 |
| Jamaica | 15 | 105= |
| Japan | 36 | 39= |
| Jordan | 43 | 29 |
| Kazakhstan | 25 | 63= |
| Kenya | 50 | 20= |
| Kiribati | 5 | 160= |
| Kuwait | 34 | 45= |
| Kyrgyzstan | 9 | 138= |
| Laos | 5 | 160= |
| Latvia | 36 | 39= |
| Lebanon | 42 | 30= |
| Lesotho | 1 | 186= |
| Liberia | 10 | 132= |
| Libya | 39 | 36= |
| Liechtenstein | 0 | 189= |
| Lithuania | 20 | 82= |
| Luxembourg | 17 | 99= |
| Madagascar | 7 | 147= |
| Malawi | 6 | 152= |
| Malaysia | 44 | 27= |
| Maldives | 15 | 105= |
| Mali | 22 | 75= |
| Malta | 29 | 57= |
| Marshall Islands | 2 | 185 |
| Mauritania | 13 | 116= |
| Mauritius | 15 | 105= |
| Mexico | 25 | 63= |
| Micronesia | 3 | 180= |
| Moldova | 17 | 99= |
| Monaco | 0 | 189= |
| Mongolia | 5 | 160= |
| Montenegro | 15 | 105= |
| Morocco | 42 | 30= |
| Mozambique | 6 | 152= |
| Myanmar | 5 | 160= |
| Namibia | 7 | 147= |
| Nauru | 3 | 180= |
| Nepal | 12 | 122= |
| Netherlands | 82 | 6 |
| New Zealand | 18 | 93= |
| Nicaragua | 6 | 152= |
| Niger | 11 | 127= |
| Nigeria | 31 | 52= |
| North Korea | 3 | 180= |
| Norway | 31 | 52= |
| Oman | 24 | 68= |
| Pakistan | 29 | 57= |
| Palau | 3 | 180= |
| Panama | 23 | 73= |
| Papua New Guinea | 8 | 144= |
| Paraguay | 6 | 152= |
| Peru | 19 | 87= |
| Philippines | 20 | 82= |
| Poland | 41 | 33= |
| Portugal | 39 | 36= |
| Qatar | 54 | 16 |
| Romania | 30 | 55= |
| Russian Federation | 70 | 10= |
| Rwanda | 7 | 147= |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 5 | 160= |
| Saint Lucia | 9 | 138= |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
6 | 152= |
| Samoa | 5 | 160= |
| San Marino | 0 | 189= |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 4 | 173= |
| Saudi Arabia | 44 | 27= |
| Senegal | 30 | 55= |
| Serbia | 33 | 47= |
| Seychelles | 10 | 132= |
| Sierra Leone | 13 | 116= |
| Singapore | 40 | 35 |
| Slovakia | 14 | 110= |
| Slovenia | 23 | 73= |
| Solomon Islands | 6 | 152= |
| Somalia | 5 | 160= |
| South Africa | 51 | 18= |
| South Korea | 35 | 43= |
| Spain | 71 | 9 |
| Sri Lanka | 19 | 87= |
| Sudan | 21 | 78= |
| Suriname | 4 | 173= |
| Swaziland | 1 | 186= |
| Sweden | 42 | 30= |
| Switzerland | 65 | 13 |
| Syria | 34 | 45= |
| Tajikistan | 11 | 127= |
| Tanzania | 18 | 93= |
| TFYROM (Macedonia) | 10 | 132= |
| Thailand | 56 | 15 |
| Timor-Leste | 3 | 180= |
| Togo | 19 | 87= |
| Tonga | 5 | 160= |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 14 | 110= |
| Tunisia | 33 | 47= |
| Turkey | 81 | 7 |
| Turkmenistan | 11 | 127= |
| Tuvalu | 1 | 186= |
| UAE | 80 | 8 |
| Uganda | 13 | 116= |
| UK | 105 | 3 |
| Ukraine | 47 | 23= |
| Uruguay | 9 | 138= |
| USA | 86 | 4 |
| Uzbekistan | 25 | 63= |
| Vanuatu | 4 | 173= |
| Venezuela | 24 | 68= |
| Vietnam | 18 | 93= |
| Yemen | 24 | 68= |
| Zambia | 10 | 132= |
| Zimbabwe | 13 | 116= |
Chris said,
Is the data (IATA airlines published schedules) that you used to generate this easily available somewhere online all in one spot?
The Global Traveller said,
I use multiple sources because I don’t have access to a CRS to download the data and nor do I want to pay the hefty fees for published flight schedules (eg through OAG).
Oliver said,
I think the Polish government would disagree that Poland is home to a Lufthansa-family airline (LOT participates in M&M but isn’t owned by LH).
Thanks for this interesting list. As always it is interesting to see how “poorly” connected the US is.
Bob said,
What about Vatican City? This is a country as well – I assume that they also come in at 0.
daeguowl said,
Does this mean that if a flight operates to two cities only the first one is counted for the index? I’m thinking of Korean Air’s flights to Cairo via Tashkent or Madrid via Amsterdam? And in the case of the Madrid flight which I think operates a triangular route, that means it would get counted for a direct connection for Spain to Korea but not vice versa…
The Global Traveller said,
You are right there are no scheduled flights to or from Vatican City.
There are lots of interpretations of “what is a country”, so I took my country list from United Nations membership. Vatican City isn’t on that list.
The Global Traveller said,
No, both are counted. For example Air New Zealand flies between Auckland and United Kingdom on a single flight number but with a stopover in Hong Kong (or Los Angeles). United Kingdom is counted for New Zealand’s score even though there are no nonstop flights.
Ie I include all direct flights whether or not they are nonstop.
Alex Pitt said,
I am interested in a matrix to understand the linkages between countries (for example how strong is the link between the US and Canada versus the link between US and Brazil). Do you have this information? If not any ideas if you have seem similar stats.
thanks in advance
steve32 said,
While I understand your choice of country list, I believe there should be one exception made to add to the list — Taiwan is technically still not in the UN but acts as a separate country from China (despite the “official line” that they are a “renegade province”).
Are you counting all of Taiwan’s connectivity as those of mainland China, and those of mainland China as those of Taiwan? That’s not the accuracy that I think you are striving for.
The Global Traveller said,
@Alex Pitt – I’m not sure quite what you are looking for, but flight connectivity is probably not a useful measure. I can tell you there are flights between USA and Canada, or USA and Brazil. But there is no indication of strength of connection (US-Canada counts as one, the same as US-Ethiopia).
Add A Comment