- European airport passenger traffic increased 2.6pc in H1 2026.
- Q2 growth slowed to 1.3pc from Q1’s 4.3pc.
- Domestic passenger traffic outperformed international for the first time post-pandemic.
- London Heathrow remained the busiest airport with 40m passengers.
- Slovakia (+101.3pc) and Malta (+15.6pc) had the best national performances.
ACI EUROPE has released air traffic data for June, Q2 and H1 2026, showing passenger traffic across the European airport network increased by 2.6pc in H1 compared to the same period last year. The pace of growth slowed in Q2 to 1.3pc versus Q1 at 4.3pc, reflecting the impact of the war in the Middle East and some airlines cutting capacity in response to higher jet fuel prices. Domestic passenger traffic outperformed international passenger traffic for the first time since the pandemic recovery.
Major airports (over 40m passengers) grew at 0.8pc, with London Heathrow remaining the busiest European airport welcoming 40m passengers, closely followed by Istanbul (39.84m). Mega airports (25-40m) grew 1.9pc, with best performances from Copenhagen (6.8pc), Malaga (6.7pc) and Dublin (5.9pc). Large airports (10-25m) grew 3.9pc and Medium airports (1-10m) grew 3.7pc.
Airports in Slovakia (+101.3pc), Malta (+15.6pc) and Slovenia (+14.7pc) had the best national performances, while Iceland (-7.1pc), Cyprus (-4.4pc) and Austria (-2.6pc) posted the weakest.
- Majors: Istanbul SAW (+6.4pc), Barcelona BCN (+4.4pc), Madrid MAD (+4.2pc), Istanbul IST (+1.6pc), Rome FCO (+0.3pc).
- Mega airports: Copenhagen CPH (+6.8pc), Malaga AGP (+6.7pc), Dublin DUB (+5.9pc), Zurich ZRH (+5.6pc), Athens ATH (+4.5pc).
- Large airports: Tirana TIA (+17.2pc), Tashkent TAS (+16.9pc), Malta MLA (+15.6pc), Krakow KRK (+15.1pc), Milan LIN (+10.3pc).
- Medium airports: Bratislava BTS (+122.7pc), Skopje SKP (+28.6pc), Trapani TPS (+28.3pc), Varna VAR (+21.2pc), Chișinău RMO (+21.0pc).
- Small airports: Stockholm BMA (+518.8pc), Bucharest BBU (+286.3pc), Logroño–Agoncillo RJL (+69.6pc), Beja BYJ (+55.5pc), Växjö-Kronoberg VXO (+47.9pc).
Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI EUROPE, stated geopolitics have increasingly shaped traffic performance this year, with passenger traffic stalling or declining in several national markets as of June. He noted the evolution of the war in the Middle East will largely determine the trajectory of European air traffic through the remainder of the year.
Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI EUROPE, shared, “There is no escaping the fact that geopolitics have increasingly been shaping traffic performance this year
