The European aviation market continues its path to recovery, with a 4.5% increase in passenger traffic at Europe’s airports during the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. However, Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI Europe, issued a warning to the industry, emphasizing that growth is no longer guaranteed and challenges are mounting.
“The positive trend in passenger traffic reflects the continued and strong resilience of demand, despite supply pressures, operational difficulties, geopolitical tensions, and macroeconomic uncertainties,” Jankovec stated. He stressed that aviation markets are entering a new era of heightened competition and volatility, where growth in passenger numbers can no longer be taken for granted.
International Demand Driving Growth
The increase in passengers came exclusively from international air traffic, which rose by 5.7%. In contrast, domestic travel remained nearly flat, with a marginal rise of 0.2%. Overall, the number of passengers in the first half of 2025 was 5.1% higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019, highlighting a relative recovery in the sector.
The summer season continues to boost traffic, but ACI Europe remains cautiously optimistic for the rest of the year. “Summer is performing well—for now. We’ll see how the coming months unfold,” noted Jankovec.
Uneven Recovery Across Countries
The recovery varies significantly across European markets. Italy’s airports saw the largest increase in passengers at +5.7%, followed by Spain with +4.5%. On the lower end were France (+3.6%), the UK, and Germany (both at +2.3%), all underperforming compared to the European average.
In terms of individual airports:
London Heathrow remained Europe’s busiest airport with 39.9 million passengers in the first half—an increase of just 0.2% over 2024.
It was followed by Istanbul Airport (39.1 million), Paris-CDG (34.6 million), Amsterdam Schiphol (32.7 million), and Madrid (32.6 million).
Positive Trend for Smaller Airports, but Still Behind 2019
Smaller European airports (with fewer than 1 million passengers per year) also saw a notable improvement, with traffic increasing by 5.1% in the first half of 2025. However, ACI Europe points out that these airports remain the only ones yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels, still lagging -32.9% compared to H1 of 2019.
Conclusions and Outlook
The overall picture shows a gradual stabilization of the European aviation market, with international travel being the key driver of recovery. Still, geopolitical uncertainties, high energy costs, staff shortages, and concerns over economic stagnation continue to weigh on the sector.
ACI Europe urges airports across Europe to prepare for a more competitive and uncertain future, by investing in infrastructure, strategic diversification, and sustainability initiatives.
As Olivier Jankovec concluded:
“The pace of growth can no longer be assumed.”
