Europe’s Passenger Market Shows Continued Growth
According to the latest annual report from Airports Council International (ACI), the European aviation market maintained its growth trajectory in 2025. Compared to 2024, passenger numbers across European airports saw a 0.7% increase, reflecting the sustained recovery and expansion of air travel demand. This report provides key data for evaluating the performance of Europe’s major aviation hubs.
Overall Passenger Traffic: London and Istanbul Lead the Way
In terms of total passenger traffic, London Heathrow Airport (LHR) topped the European charts, welcoming 84,482,126 passengers throughout the year. Istanbul Airport (IST) followed closely with 84,437,710 passengers. These two are also the only European airports to rank in the global top ten for passenger traffic, placing seventh and eighth worldwide, respectively, highlighting their crucial roles as intercontinental hubs.
International Passenger Rankings: Spain’s Two Major Airports Shine
The report also includes a specific ranking for international passenger traffic, a list that better reflects an airport’s global connectivity. Spain’s two main airports performed exceptionally well in this ranking:
- Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD): Ranked sixth in Europe with 51.1 million international passengers.
- Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN): Placed seventh in Europe with 43.2 million international passengers.
This achievement demonstrates the growing importance of Madrid and Barcelona as key gateways connecting Europe with the rest of the world, particularly Latin America, reinforcing their roles as major hubs.
Top 10 European Airports by International Passenger Throughput
In addition to the two Spanish airports, the top ten European airports for international passenger throughput in 2025 include:
- London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
- Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS): Over 68.7 million international passengers
- Istanbul Airport (IST)
- Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG): 66.1 million international passengers
- Frankfurt Airport (FRA): 57.5 million international passengers
- Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD): 51.1 million international passengers
- Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN): 43.2 million international passengers
- Rome-Fiumicino Airport (FCO): 40.6 million international passengers
- London Gatwick Airport (LGW): 40.6 million international passengers
- Munich Airport (MUC): 37.2 million international passengers
