In 2024, Europe’s airports handled 2.5bn passengers, up 7.4pc from 2023 and surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 1.8pc.
Despite this growth, nearly half of Europe’s airports remained below their pre-pandemic passenger volumes due to structural market changes and geopolitical factors, with small airports underperforming at -34.5pc.
The top five airports in Europe by passenger volume in 2024 were London Heathrow (83.9m), Istanbul (80.1m), Paris CDG (70.3m), Amsterdam Schiphol (66.8m), and Madrid (66.1m).
Freight traffic also experienced a notable increase in 2024, rising by 13.2pc, with Istanbul airport becoming the busiest for freight in Europe, handling 1.97m tons.
