Record number of commercial flights registered in one day

A new global record was set on Thursday, July 23, with 153,359 commercial flights operating worldwide. This milestone surpasses the previous record of 137,225 commercial flights, which was logged on July 13, 2026, by a significant margin of nearly 12 percent.

The data, released by flight tracking service Flightradar24, indicates that the last week of July is typically the busiest period for air travel, and this year proved no exception. The surge in commercial flights highlights a strong recovery and high demand in the aviation sector.

When factoring in military and private aircraft, the total number of planes in the air on that specific day reached 287,364. This figure marks the second busiest day ever recorded for overall air traffic, underscoring the intense activity in global airspace.

Flightradar24 noted on social media platform X that the final week of July consistently sees the highest air traffic volumes. The previous record for commercial flights was set just over a decade ago, indicating a substantial increase in flight operations over the years.

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The last week of July is often the busiest in the air - and this year was no exception.