European airport traffic declines for first time since COVID recovery began

Passenger traffic at European airports fell by 0.7% in April 2026 compared with the same month last year, marking the first year-on-year decline since the post-pandemic recovery started in April 2021, according to ACI Europe.

The downturn was driven by several factors, including the conflict in the Middle East, the timing of Easter holidays shifting partly into March, and widespread industrial action in Germany. Traffic in non-EU+ countries dropped sharply by 7.6%, while the EU+ market still managed modest growth of 0.6%.

Airports in Israel experienced the steepest decline, with passenger numbers plunging 73.4%, while Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan also recorded significant losses due to their exposure to Middle Eastern traffic. In contrast, Albania, North Macedonia and Moldova continued to post strong growth.

Among Europe’s largest aviation markets, Spain (+3.7%) and Italy (+2.2%) remained resilient, whereas Germany (-8.5%), the United Kingdom (-2.1%) and France (-0.9%) saw traffic decline. Germany’s performance was particularly affected by seven days of industrial action.

Large hub airports were hit hardest. Among airports handling more than 40 million passengers annually, only Barcelona–El Prat Airport, Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol recorded growth. Airports in Munich, Frankfurt, London Gatwick and London Heathrow all saw notable declines.

Medium-sized and small airports outperformed larger hubs, benefiting from their stronger focus on intra-European traffic and continued capacity growth by low-cost carriers. However, small airports remain nearly 28% below their 2019 passenger levels, highlighting ongoing structural challenges.

For Belgium, one of the strongest performances came from Brussels South Charleroi Airport, which recorded passenger growth of 16.2% compared with April 2025, making it one of Europe’s fastest-growing large airports during the month.

In addition to weaker passenger demand, European airports also reported a 5.3% decline in freight volumes and a 0.8% reduction in aircraft movements.

ACI Europe warned that, beyond geopolitical uncertainty, implementation of the Schengen Entry/Exit System (EES) is becoming a major operational concern, with airports arguing that border-control procedures are causing significant delays and disruption for passengers.