European airports welcomed 2.6% more passengers during the first half of 2026, but growth lost significant momentum in the second quarter as the conflict in the Middle East disrupted travel patterns and prompted airlines to adjust capacity, according to new figures released by ACI EUROPE.
Passenger traffic across Europe’s airport network rose 2.6% year-on-year in the first six months of 2026. However, growth slowed sharply from 4.3% in the first quarter to just 1.3% in the second quarter, highlighting the impact of geopolitical instability, particularly in the Middle East, as well as higher jet fuel prices.
For the first time since the industry’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, domestic traffic (+3%) outpaced international traffic (+2.5%), reflecting the disproportionate impact of international route disruptions.
ACI EUROPE Director General Olivier Jankovec said geopolitical developments are increasingly determining air traffic performance.
“There is no escaping the fact that geopolitics have increasingly been shaping traffic performance this year,” he said. “Growth has clearly lost momentum, with passenger traffic stalling—or even declining—in a number of national markets as of June.”
Jankovec stressed that weaker performance is largely the result of supply-side pressures rather than falling demand.
“Europeans continue to prioritise air travel while North Americans continue to visit our continent in record numbers this summer,” he noted.
He also warned that the delayed implementation of Europe’s Schengen Entry/Exit System risks damaging the continent’s attractiveness due to lengthy border control queues.
Traffic performance varied considerably between national markets.
Among EU+ countries, Slovakia recorded the strongest growth with a remarkable 101.3% increase, followed by Malta (+15.6%) and Slovenia (+14.7%). At the opposite end of the spectrum, Iceland (-7.1%), Cyprus (-4.4%) and Austria (-2.6%) saw passenger declines.
Among Europe’s largest aviation markets:
Outside the EU+, airports in North Macedonia (+27.9%), Moldova (+21%) and Albania (+17.2%) posted particularly strong growth, while Israel (-19.2%) suffered the sharpest decline due to the ongoing regional conflict.
Among Europe’s largest hubs, London Heathrow Airport retained its position as the continent’s busiest airport with 40 million passengers during the first half of the year, narrowly ahead of Istanbul Airport, which handled 39.84 million travellers.
Growth among Europe’s largest airports remained modest:
Meanwhile, several major hubs experienced declining traffic, including London Gatwick Airport (-5.2%), Munich Airport (-4.2%) and Frankfurt Airport (-0.8%).
Medium-sized and regional airports continued to deliver stronger growth than Europe’s largest hubs, benefiting from low-cost carrier expansion and resilient leisure and visiting friends and relatives (VFR) traffic.
Among large airports, Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza led the rankings with 17.2% growth, ahead of Tashkent International Airport (+16.9%) and Malta International Airport (+15.6%).
Bratislava recorded the strongest growth among medium-sized airports, with passenger numbers soaring by 122.7%.
Small regional airports were the fastest-growing segment overall, posting an 8.6% increase. Nevertheless, they remain the only category still significantly below pre-pandemic passenger levels, with traffic 33.2% lower than in the first half of 2019.
Air freight volumes remained broadly stable, increasing 0.7% year-on-year and standing 11.2% above pre-pandemic levels.
Among Europe’s leading cargo hubs, Leipzig/Halle Airport recorded the strongest growth (+12.7%), followed by Istanbul (+10.8%) and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (+10%).
Aircraft movements across Europe increased by 1% during the first half of 2026 but remained 1.5% below 2019 levels, illustrating that while passenger demand continues to grow, Europe’s aviation recovery is increasingly being shaped by geopolitical uncertainty rather than market fundamentals.
This post was published on 30 July 2026 00:01
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