European air passenger traffic rises 3.8% in March despite Middle East conflict

ACI Europe says passenger traffic across Europe’s airports continued to grow in March 2026 despite disruption linked to the conflict in the Middle East. According to the organisation’s latest traffic report, European airport passenger volumes increased by 3.8% compared with March 2025, remaining close to February’s 4.2% growth rate even after the regional conflict began on February 28.

Airports within the EU+, including the European Union, EEA countries, Switzerland and the UK, recorded stronger growth at 4.1%, while airports in the rest of Europe saw growth slow to 2.6%. The sharpest impact was felt in Israel, where airport passenger traffic collapsed by 86.3%.

Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI Europe, said the figures demonstrated the resilience of air travel demand despite another major geopolitical crisis. He noted that while many European airports temporarily lost direct links to the Middle East, airlines and passengers quickly adapted through alternative routings to Asia and other markets.

ACI Europe warned, however, that the industry’s outlook beyond the peak summer season remains uncertain due to geopolitical tensions, oil market volatility and the risk of rising fuel costs affecting consumer spending.

Among Europe’s largest aviation markets, airports in Italy posted the strongest growth at 4.8%, followed by Spain at 3.9%. Meanwhile, Germany, the United Kingdom and France lagged behind the European average, which ACI Europe partly attributed to higher aviation taxes.

Outside the EU+ area, the fastest-growing markets included North Macedonia, Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina, while airports in Türkiye and Serbia also posted double-digit growth.

Among Europe’s major hubs, Istanbul Airport recorded the strongest growth at 7.7%, closely followed by Sabiha Gökçen International Airport at 7.2%.

London Heathrow Airport remained Europe’s busiest airport in March with 6.64 million passengers and posted 6.9% growth. Strong results were also recorded at Barcelona–El Prat Airport and Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport.

Growth was more limited at Frankfurt Airport, Munich Airport and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, while traffic slightly declined at London Gatwick Airport and Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport.

ACI Europe also highlighted continued struggles for smaller regional airports. Although airports handling fewer than one million passengers posted the highest annual growth rate at 8.9%, traffic remained 32.1% below pre-pandemic 2019 levels.

The conflict’s strongest immediate effect was seen in air cargo. Freight volumes across European airports fell by 3.1% in March after strong growth earlier in the year, reflecting the disruption of cargo flows traditionally routed through Middle Eastern hubs.