Which are going to be the busiest airports in Europe in 2025?

The rapidly evolving digital era has significantly impacted numerous industries, including aviation. The digitalization of all travel-related processes has enabled airlines, airports and travel data providers to analyse large data sets and make informed predictions in order to optimise the services they provide. 

Air passengers could also benefit from aviation analytics reports. With the spring and summer holidays approaching, travellers from all around the world will pass through the major European airports, thus contributing to increased wait times and possible flight disruptions. Gaining insight into the expected passenger traffic and airport congestion can help you plan your journey wisely and ensure a smoother travel experience. 

When it comes to airports, one of the key areas for analysis is determining how busy a given air hub is. While the term “busy” may sound a little vague, there are in fact 3 possible criteria which give very specific and measurable information. An airport’s business during a given period of time can be measured by:

• the total number of passengers enplaned and deplaned (including transit passengers);
• the number of aircraft movements (takeoffs and landings);
• the amount of loaded and unloaded cargo freight in metric tons (including transit cargo).

  

What are the busiest airports in Europe in 2025?

Based on the gathered data, we ranked the 7 European airports expected to welcome the most travellers in 2025. Which is the busiest airport in Europe this year? Find out in the table below!

Airport	Number of passengers
London Heathrow Airport (LHR)	83.9 million
Istanbul International Airport (IST)	80.1 million
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)	70.3 million
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)	66.8 million
Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD)	66.1 million
Frankfurt Main International Airport (FRA)	61.6 million
Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN)	55 million

 

 

1. London Heathrow

83.9 million passengers (2024)

 

London Heathrow has remained the busiest European airport for years and based on our research and data, our aviation experts believe that it will retain its top position in 2025. The biggest aviation facility in the United Kingdom, Heathrow serves as a global hub between Europe and the other continents.

Heathrow has 5 passenger terminals and from there, 89 airlines take air passengers to over 214 different destinations worldwide. The UK flag carrier British Airways is the dominating air company at the main London airport. 

The UK is widely recognized for its tough weather conditions. Even though technological advancements have improved planes’ ability to handle heavy rain, ice, and fog, the high volumes of traffic at Heathrow often get in the way of airlines’ punctuality when the UK weather shows its true colors. 

Expert tip: Bad weather can cause flight delays even after the conditions have improved. If your flight is delayed, be sure to document any information you receive at the airport or from the airline. 

 

2. Istanbul International Airport

80.1 million passengers (2024)

 

The main hub for Turkish Airlines, Istanbul Airport was officially opened in 2018 and replaced the Istanbul Atatürk Airport. Since the beginning of its construction, the new Turkish airport has aimed to become the biggest air hub in Europe (by surface area). It is planned to cover the impressive 76.5 km2 with 8 runways, 16 taxiways, and 4 terminals by 2027. 

The management of Istanbul airport has ambitious projections for the passenger traffic, too. The forecast for 2024 was 85 million passengers enplaned and deplaned. Earlier this year (2025) Türkiye's General Directorate of State Airports Authority released a report which states that Istanbul Airport welcomed nearly 80 million passengers in 2024 showing that the management’s plans are to be taken seriously.

The airport in Istanbul serves as a global transit hub between Europe, Asia and Africa and by the time the construction of all terminals is over, passengers in transit might find it quite tiring and stressful to get from one gate to another. If you miss your connection at Istanbul Airport, you might be eligible for compensation and SkyRefund can help you get it!

 

 

3. Paris Charles de Gaulle

70.3 million passengers (2024)

 

The Paris airport has kept its passenger traffic numbers steady even after the COVID surge and is expected to see an average of 1304 flights per week in the upcoming 2 months. 

One of the most recognizable European airports and the main hub for the French national carrier, Air France, Paris Charles de Gaulle takes the third place in our ranking and will be the busiest airport in the Schengen area. 

Officially opened in 1974, the biggest French international airport has since grown to include three huge terminals. Paris Charles de Gaulle was named after the infamous French president and military leader and serves as a major gateway to Europe from all other continents. 

 

4. Amsterdam Schiphol

66.8 million passengers (2024)

 

The biggest airport in the Netherlands is a primary base not only for the Dutch flag carrier KLM but also for airlines like Lufthansa, Air Transat, British Airways and Brussels Airlines. Schiphol is one of the most important hubs serving the Netherlands, Northern Germany, and Belgium and a major transit point for intercontinental flights. 

Schiphol has only one terminal building but with 3 separate departure halls. The Amsterdam airport already saw nearly 5 million passengers during the month of January, and we are sure that the numbers for the rest of the year will remain steady. 

Expert tip: Schiphol’s website contains a feature which allows you to check how busy the airport will be at the time of your flight. That way, you can plan your arrival at the airport in advance and avoid the big queues at check-in desks and security. 

 

5. Madrid Barajas

66.1 million passengers (2024)

 

The main hub for Spanish flag carrier Iberia was first opened in 1928 and has since become a major aviation point. Madrid Barajas extends over 4 passenger terminals, 1 cargo and 1 executive terminal, and 4 runways. 

The Spanish capital is a popular destination and has the numbers to show for it: the Barajas airport quickly recovered after COVID and could easily compete for the 5th place in our ranking. Madrid also serves as a major transit hub between Europe, Africa, and South America.

Fun fact: Madrid Barajas Airport has the longest runway in Europe, stretching over 4470 meters!

 

6. Frankfurt Main International Airport

61.6 million passengers (2024)

 

The airport of Frankfurt am Main takes the 6th position in our ranking and like Heathrow, is one of the busiest European hubs despite its not so impressive size. Lufthansa, the German flag carrier, uses Frankfurt as its main base and makes it an attractive transfer location for trips overseas. 

Expert tip: The staff at Frankfurt Airport have been going on strike quite often in the years after the COVID epidemic, demanding better wages and fair working hours. The strike dates are usually announced a few days in advance, so be sure to follow the information in the weeks leading up to your flight to avoid unpleasant surprises on the day you travel. 

 

7. Josep Tarradellas Barcelona - El Prat

55 million passengers (2024)

 

This Mediterranean hub has shown steady growth in passenger traffic in the past decades and it comes as no surprise that it found its spot in our 2025 prognosis ranking. The Spanish airport dates back to 1916 and serves the whole Catalunian region, being located between Barcelona and a small town called El Prat de Llobregat. The name Josep Tarradellas was only inaugurated in 2019 in honor of the president of the Generalitat de Catalunya, 30 years after his death.

The management of Barcelona - El Prat is continuously investing time, money and resources to improve the airport’s facilities and their efforts have paid off. In 2024, the Catalunian airport received ACI’s “Best Airport in Europe with more than 40 million passengers” and “Most Enjoyable Airport in Europe” awards. Barcelona - El Prat was recognized by travellers for its shopping, food, and entertainment services.

 

How we chose the best airports in Europe?

In our 2025 forecast we chose to focus on the number of travellers passing through the airport as this metric directly affects wait times, potential flight disruptions, and overall experience. For the purposes of our ranking, we used and analysed data from:

• Eurostat’s latest report which shows which were the busiest airports in the European Union,  
• Eurocontrol’s forecast report for the weeks leading up to Easter weekend, containing a prognosis for the traffic at the biggest airports in the EU,
• OAG’s 2024 report for busiest airports in Europe,
• Airports Council International’s (ACI) review of 2024 passenger traffic numbers at the major European airports.

*OAG stands for Official Airline Guide and represents a private travel data provider company with over a century of history and experience in the field.

 

Why SkyRefund?

The busiest airports are unfortunately frequently associated with flight disruptions, chaos, long security check queues and endless walks between terminals. The heavy traffic at the major European hubs often leads to flight delays, cancellations, and missed connections. 

If you experienced any of the above, you might have the right to compensation of up to £520 (€600) according to EU Regulation 261/2004. 

Under EU261, you can receive compensation from the airline operating your flight if the former is responsible for the flight disruption. This means there should not be any extraordinary circumstances like adverse weather conditions or security threats involved. 

Unfortunately, airport staff strikes do not fall under EU261’s compensation eligibility rules. If, however, the airline’s employees go on strike, or there are technical issues with the aircraft, you will be entitled to reimbursement. 

SkyRefund can be your trusted partner in claiming your flight compensation and defending your passenger rights. Our experienced lawyers will help you in every step of the way, from finding out if you are eligible for compensation to the finalisation of your claim. What is more, we will not charge you a commission fee unless and until we successfully recover your money from the airline: no win, no fee.

Submit your compensation claim now and we will take care of the rest.

 

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