Passenger traffic across Europe’s airport network recorded a negative performance in April, marking an important milestone: the first year-on-year decline in passenger volumes since the recovery in air travel began after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest data from the European airport association ACI EUROPE.
The decline in passenger traffic at European airports this April, although marginal at -0.7% compared to April 2025, represents a critical turning point for the aviation sector in Europe.
According to ACI EUROPE, the April results are attributed to a combination of factors, including the conflict in the Middle East, which mainly affects markets outside the EU+, the partial shift of Easter holidays to March, and labour strikes in Germany, which significantly impacted traffic at major European airports.
Continued growth in the EU+ market
While passenger traffic in the non-EU+ market declined by 7.6%, the EU+ market continued to grow, recording an increase of 0.6%, with European Union airports performing even better (+1.4%), despite the overall drop in traffic.
In the non-EU+ market, the sharpest losses were recorded by airports in Israel (-73.4%), while passenger traffic also declined in Turkey (-5.1%), Georgia (-16.3%), and Azerbaijan (-12.9%).
On the other hand, several smaller markets west of the non-EU+ region continued to record impressive growth: North Macedonia (+30.6%), Albania (+25.3%), and Moldova (+24.6%).
Among the largest EU+ markets, airports in Spain (+3.7%) and Italy (+2.2%) recorded the best results, while those in Germany (-8.5%), the United Kingdom (-2.1%), and France (-0.9%) saw a decline in passenger volumes.
The strongest performances in the EU+ were recorded by airports in Slovakia (+125.2%), Slovenia (+14.6%), Estonia (+12.1%), Malta (+13.5%), and Poland (+8.3%).
At the opposite end of the spectrum, airports in Cyprus (-16.1%) and Iceland (-11.7%) recorded the steepest declines, followed by those in Austria (-7.4%) and Switzerland (-6.1%).
Among major hub airports, Barcelona–El Prat Airport (+4.1%), Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (+3.3%), and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (+2.7%) recorded increases in passenger traffic in April. In contrast, the sharpest declines were seen at Munich Airport (-16.4%) and Frankfurt Airport (-11%), mainly due to strike actions lasting at least seven days during the month.
At the same time, airports in Istanbul Airport recorded losses, despite typically being among the best performers, with traffic at the city’s main airport falling by 6.8%, while Sabiha Gökçen International Airport saw a decline of 3.4%.
Meanwhile, London airports also moved into negative territory, with London Gatwick Airport down 8.8% and Heathrow Airport down 5.4%. Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport recorded a marginal decrease of 0.6%, while traffic at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport remained stable.
Overall, the largest airports (-3.5%), along with the very large (-1%) and large airports (+0.1%), were the segments most affected by the conflict in the Middle East, as they handle the majority of Europe’s connectivity with the region.
By contrast, medium-sized airports (+2.1%) and small airports (+5.5%), whose route networks are primarily intra-European, remained largely insulated. This was due to the fact that low-cost carriers did not reduce capacity, while some demand shifted from long-haul travel to medium- and short-haul trips.
However, small airports continued to show the weakest performance compared to pre-pandemic levels (2019), at -27.7%, reflecting structurally changing market conditions and significant challenges related to economic sustainability.
ACI: Airport performance by size category
In March, airports handling more than 40 million passengers (largest), those handling between 25 and 40 million (very large), between 10 and 25 million (large), between 1 and 10 million (medium), and those handling fewer than 1 million passengers (small) reported average year-on-year changes of -3.5%, -1%, +0.1%, +2.1%, and +5.5%, respectively.
The airports reporting the strongest passenger growth compared to April 2025 were as follows:
Largest airports: Barcelona–El Prat Airport (+4.1%), Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (+3.3%), Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (+2.7%), Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (0%), Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport (-0.6%).
Very large airports: Málaga Airport (+9.5%), Zurich Airport (+6.1%), Copenhagen Airport (+5.8%), London Stansted Airport (+3.1%), Palma de Mallorca Airport (+2.6%).
Large airports: Tirana International Airport (+25.3%), Brussels South Charleroi Airport (+16.2%), Malta International Airport (+13.5%), Milan Linate Airport (+13.3%), Kraków John Paul II International Airport (+13%).
Medium airports: Bratislava Airport (+144.7%), Skopje International Airport (+31.1%), A Coruña Airport (+25.4%), Chișinău International Airport (+24.6%), Timișoara Traian Vuia International Airport (+21.5%).
Small airports: Stockholm Bromma Airport (+699.8%), Bucharest Băneasa Aurel Vlaicu International Airport (+210.6%), Hatay Airport (+165.8%), Córdoba Airport (+135.1%), Friedrichshafen Airport (+89.1%).
“April marks a clear turning point for European air traffic. While we were already observing a normalisation in passenger growth following the strong rebound after the pandemic, geopolitical instability—particularly the war in the Middle East—is now further weighing on growth and highlighting significant differences in performance across markets. The encouraging news is that demand remains generally strong, airline capacity adjustments are limited, and fears of a potential jet fuel shortage have eased,” said Olivier Jankovec.
However, according to him, the most pressing concern for the European aviation market relates to the serious disruptions and difficulties faced by travellers due to border control procedures linked to the Schengen Entry/Exit System. “If authorities are not allowed to show greater flexibility, including the full suspension of the system where operationally necessary, disruptions for passengers will intensify in the coming weeks and months. For many airports and airlines, the situation risks becoming unsustainable,” warns Mr Jankovec.
He also stresses that it is incomprehensible that, at EU level, no one seems to be truly addressing this issue, as well as the massive damage it is causing to Europe’s reputation as a welcoming and reliable destination.
