In Brief: European air passenger traffic increased by 3.2% in May 2026 compared to the previous year, with significant variation in performance across countries and airport sizes, according to new data from ACI EUROPE.
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European Air Passenger Traffic Rises 3.2% in May 2026, Small Airports Lead Growth – Image Credit Unsplash
Passenger Traffic Trends in May 2026
European airports experienced a rebound in passenger numbers in May 2026, following a slight decline in April. The overall increase of 3.2% compared to May 2025 was driven primarily by airports in the EU+ region, which saw a 3.4% rise. Within the EU, growth was even higher at 4.2%. In contrast, non-EU+ airports recorded a lower increase of 2%.
National and Regional Differences
Performance varied widely among countries and individual airports. Several factors contributed to these differences, including the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the expansion of ultra-low-cost carriers, the impact of aviation taxes, and changes in airline capacity.
In the EU+ region, Slovakia led with a 112.8% increase in passenger traffic, followed by Malta (16.5%), Estonia (13.1%), and Slovenia (11.2%). Bulgaria, Poland, Lithuania, and Denmark also posted strong growth, each exceeding 8%. However, some countries saw declines. Cyprus experienced a 4.1% drop, attributed to concerns about travel safety due to the war. Iceland, Austria, and Latvia reported decreases linked to airline capacity cuts, while Switzerland’s 5.3% decline was due to flight reductions by SWISS and runway work at Basel/Mulhouse EuroAirport.
Among the largest EU+ markets, Italy and Spain both saw growth of around 5%. France (1.7%) and the UK (0.9%) grew more slowly, while Germany’s passenger numbers fell by 0.6%, partly due to the grounding of Lufthansa CityLine aircraft.
Non-EU+ airports in North Macedonia (27.4%), Albania (26%), Montenegro (17.8%), Uzbekistan (16.2%), and Armenia (12.7%) saw the highest increases. In contrast, Israel, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kosovo experienced significant declines. Türkiye, a major market, reported modest growth of 1.8%.
Major Airports and Top Performers
London Heathrow remained Europe’s busiest airport in May, handling 7.12 million passengers, despite a 1.2% decrease from the previous year. Istanbul followed closely, with only a small difference in passenger numbers. Spanish airports performed strongly among the top 10 busiest airports, with Barcelona (6.5%), Palma de Mallorca (4.9%), and Madrid (4.8%) all reporting notable increases.
Small Airports: Growth and Ongoing Challenges
Airports with fewer than 1 million passengers showed the highest year-on-year growth, at 7.2%. Despite this, small airports continued to lag behind pre-pandemic (2019) traffic levels, with volumes still down by 25.5%.
Freight and Aircraft Movements
Freight volumes at European airports increased by 2.5% in May compared to the previous year. Leipzig (14.1%), Brussels (12.4%), and Amsterdam (10.2%) saw the largest gains among the top 10 freight airports. Istanbul, Frankfurt, and Paris-Charles de Gaulle handled the most freight by volume. Aircraft movements remained relatively stable, rising by 0.8%, reflecting the impact of the Middle East conflict and tighter airline capacity management.
Performance by Airport Size
Airports were grouped by annual passenger numbers, with the following average changes in May 2026 compared to May 2025: – Majors (over 40 million passengers): +1.3% – Mega (25–40 million): +2.2% – Large (10–25 million): +4.6% – Medium (1–10 million): +4.4% – Small (under 1 million): +7.2%
Notable airports with the highest growth in each group included Barcelona, Zurich, Tirana, Bratislava, and Stockholm Bromma.
Conclusion
The latest data from ACI EUROPE highlights a continued recovery in European air passenger traffic, with significant differences between countries, airport sizes, and regions. While some markets and airports are seeing strong growth, others continue to face challenges related to external events and operational constraints.
