The Airports Council International Europe (ACI EUROPE) has released its preliminary air traffic report for September 2025 and the third quarter of the year. According to the report, passenger traffic across Europe continues to grow. Airports across the continent recorded a 3.6% increase in passenger traffic in September 2025 compared to the same period last year.
Non-EU Countries Lead the Growth
According to ACI EUROPE data, growth in non-EU+ countries (8.3%) was more than twice the continental average. In the EU+ region, the increase remained at 2.7%.
International passenger traffic grew by 4.3%, outpacing domestic traffic (+1%).
Across the third quarter of 2025, passenger traffic rose by 3.9%, slightly below the 4.5% and 4.6% growth rates recorded in the first two quarters of the year.
“Passenger traffic remains resilient despite economic challenges”
ACI EUROPE Director General Olivier Jankovec made the following assessment in the report:
“September once again confirmed the resilience of passenger traffic across Europe. Despite inflationary pressures, improvements in the labour market and reduced economic uncertainty supported momentum over the summer months. However, economic disparities between countries, structural changes, and high taxation policies are leading to uneven traffic performance.”
Slovakia, Poland and Romania at the Top
In the EU+ market, the countries with the fastest passenger traffic growth were Slovakia (14.7%), Poland (13.2%), Slovenia (13.1%), Romania (11.1%), and Malta (10.5%).
On the other hand, declines were observed in markets such as France (-1%), the United Kingdom (0.3%), and Estonia (5.8%).
Among the largest EU+ markets, Germany stood out with 3.2% growth, while Spain (2.5%) and Italy (1.7%) remained below the continental average.
Türkiye and Regional Countries Outperform the European Average
Elsewhere in Europe, growth reached remarkable levels.
Moldova (45.5%), Israel (32.2%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (18%), Georgia (15.6%), Uzbekistan (15%), Montenegro (10.9%), and Türkiye (10.6%) ranked among the fastest-growing markets.
Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Becomes Europe’s Fastest-Growing Airport
In the large airport category (40 million+ passengers), Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport became Europe’s fastest-growing airport with a 28.1% increase.
Sabiha Gökçen was followed by Munich (+6.7%) and Istanbul Airport (+5%).
In terms of passenger volume, Istanbul Airport surpassed London Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG), becoming one of Europe’s busiest hubs.
Ankara and Izmir Record Double-Digit Growth
In the large airport group (10–25 million passengers), Tel Aviv (32.2%) ranked first, while Türkiye’s Ankara Esenboğa (18.5%) and İzmir Adnan Menderes (18%) showed strong performance.
Among medium-sized airports, Chișinău (+45.5%), Wrocław (+25.1%), and Tivat (+24.2%) stood out.
Among small airports, Türkiye’s Hatay (+158.6%), Ordu-Giresun (+128.4%), and Ağrı (+103.1%) recorded remarkable increases.
Cargo Traffic Up by 4.3%
In September, cargo traffic increased by 4.3%, exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 17.6%.
Among Europe’s largest cargo hubs, Liège (+14.3%), Madrid (+9.4%), and Cologne (+2.6%) stood out.
Aircraft movements rose by 2.5% compared to the same period last year.
