European air passenger traffic climbs 5% in August, driven by international demand

European airport trade body ACI EUROPE reports that passenger traffic across the continent rose 4.9% in August 2025 compared to the same month last year, outpacing the year-to-date average of 4.3%. The growth was led by international travel (+5.6%), confirming strong summer demand, with total passenger volumes now 7% above pre-pandemic (2019) levels.

Airports in the EU+ area grew by 4%, with standout performances in Poland (+15.1%), Slovenia (+11.7%), and Romania (+10.3%), while Latvia (-6.7%), Estonia (-4.5%), and Iceland (-2.5%) declined. Outside the EU+, traffic surged +8.8%, led by Moldova (+46.6%), Israel (+38.1%), and Bosnia & Herzegovina (+20.4%), though Russia (-13.3%) continued to contract.

Among major airports, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen (+21.5%) was Europe’s fastest-growing hub, while both Istanbul Airport and London Heathrow surpassed 8 million passengers in a single month for the first time. Milan Malpensa (+10.2%), Copenhagen (+8.6%), and Athens (+6.8%) led growth in the mega-airport category.

Smaller airports benefited most from low-cost carrier expansion and strong leisure demand, with medium airports up +5.8% and small airports up +6.2%, although the latter remain 20% below pre-pandemic levels.

In freight, volumes declined 5.8% year-on-year but stayed 7% above 2019, with Liège (+29%), Madrid (+11.4%), and Milan Malpensa (+6%) showing the strongest performance among top cargo hubs.

Aircraft movements increased 3.3% compared to August 2024, underscoring the continued momentum in Europe’s aviation recovery through the peak summer season.