European airports recovered well in 2025. They served an extra 100 million passengers and set a continent record. ACI Europe released its Full Year 2025 Airport Traffic Report. This trade group for European airports stated the network handled 2.6 billion passengers. That figure represents a 4.4% increase over 2024. This growth shows a return to normal patterns after the pandemic. Overall volumes now exceed pre-2019 levels by about 5.6%.
The sector performed strongly. This proves people still want to fly in Europe even during hard times. Growth happened despite geopolitical tensions. These included conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Other problems included a stalled economy in markets like Germany and high ticket prices. Supply chain pressure and space limits at major hubs also caused issues.
International demand drove this expansion and rose by 5.6%. Domestic air passenger traffic in Europe stayed flat and grew by only 0.2%. Some earlier reports estimated 1.9% growth, but final data confirmed it was near zero. ACI Europe links this gap to a change in travel habits. Policies now push passengers toward rail for short trips. Short-haul flights also face higher costs like environmental taxes. Consumer choices have changed and hurt domestic routes. The association criticized "punitive taxation" on air travel. They see it as a barrier to recovery in this area.
The list of Europe's busiest airports stayed mostly the same in 2025. Growth rates differed among them.
London Heathrow stayed the number one airport on the continent. It handled 84.48 million passengers (up 0.7%). This small increase happened because airlines used larger planes. They needed to maximize space at the full hub.
Istanbul Airport came very close with 84.44 million passengers (up 5.5%). It trailed by only 40,000 travelers. Regional political instability slowed growth slightly. The hub still rises quickly.
Paris Charles de Gaulle took third place with 72.02 million passengers (up 2.5%).
Amsterdam Schiphol was fourth with 68.77 million passengers (up 2.9%).
Madrid Barajas finished the top five with 68.12 million passengers (up 3%).
These five big hubs averaged only 2.9% growth. This was below the European average. They faced space limits and had fewer leisure travelers. Airports in Southern Europe's tourist spots grew faster. Secondary hubs and regional sites did well too. These smaller European airports had more flexibility. They could handle low-cost carriers and holiday rushes. They captured a larger share of budget air passenger traffic.
The results show a tough but changing European market. International and leisure air passenger traffic in Europe is doing well. Domestic short-haul trips face problems from policy, cost, and competition. Growth sped up in the fourth quarter of 2025 and reached 6.1%. ACI Europe expects expansion to continue into 2026; however, some challenges remain.
