The European airport association ACI Europe has reported positive results for the start of the year in its latest traffic report for January 2026. Passenger numbers across its entire European network rose by 4,6% compared to the same month last year.
Markets outside the EU+ saw particularly dynamic growth, recording an 8,8% increase, while the core markets of the EU, EEA, Switzerland, and the UK achieved a solid 3,6% rise. This development was primarily driven by international travel, which increased by 5,5%. In contrast, domestic travel continues to stagnate and remains approximately 8,1% below the level of the pre-pandemic year 2019.
Despite the positive figures at the start of the year, the association warns of significant risks due to recent geopolitical developments. The conflict in the Middle East, which escalated in March 2026, represents a watershed moment for the industry. Since the Gulf region accounts for approximately 11% of the seat capacity of European airports and serves as a crucial hub for connections to the Asia-Pacific region, ACI Director General Olivier Jankovec fears an irreplaceable decline in traffic volume. The existing market dynamics, which were primarily based on strong leisure demand, could be severely disrupted by the uncertainty in this strategically important region.
Significant differences emerged within national markets in January. While countries like Slovakia, Slovenia, and Malta recorded double-digit growth rates, airports in the Netherlands and Iceland suffered from bad weather and capacity reductions. In Germany, growth of 3,5% placed it firmly in the middle of the pack among major EU countries. In the ranking of the busiest airports, Istanbul, with 6,9 million passengers, overtook the previous leader, London Heathrow. Frankfurt maintained its seventh-place position with an increase of 4,9%, while Madrid took over third place from Paris-Charles de Gaulle.
A mixed picture emerges for smaller airports with fewer than one million passengers. While this segment recorded the strongest percentage growth of 12,7% compared to the previous year, it is struggling most with the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 crisis. Less than half of these airports have recovered to their 2019 passenger levels. In contrast, the upward trend in the cargo sector continues: with growth of 6,4% in January, led by Liège and Istanbul, this area is proving significantly more resilient to fluctuations in passenger traffic.