Last updated: December 17, 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 can also benefit from aviation analytics reports. Data on the busiest airports in Europe in 2025 can help predict travel conditions for the coming year. Understanding expected passenger traffic and potential airport congestion allows travelers to plan more effectively and enjoy a smoother, less stressful journey.
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:
International Air Transport Association's forecast for 2026 is for 4.9% year-on-year growth in passenger traffic (measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres).
Based on the collected data, we ranked the seven European airports expected to handle the highest number of travellers in 2026. So, which airport is projected to be the busiest in Europe this year, based on forecasts as of December 2025? Find out in the table below.
| Airport | Number of passengers |
|---|---|
| London Heathrow Airport (LHR) | 84.2 million |
| Istanbul International Airport (IST) | 83.9 million |
| Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) | 72.3 million |
| Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) | 65.8 million |
| Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) | 65.1 million |
| Frankfurt Main International Airport (FRA) | 62.3 million |
| Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN) | 55 million |
84.2 million passengers (2025)
London Heathrow has remained Europe’s busiest airport for years, and based on our research and data, our aviation experts expect it to retain its leading position in 2026. This trend is also reflected in SkyRefund’s internal data, which shows that Heathrow is the most frequently affected airport in our case portfolio, accounting for 11.6% of all passenger claims submitted due to flight disruptions between January and December 2025.
In 2025, passenger traffic even surpassed 2024 levels, as the airport continued to invest in infrastructure and prepare for long-term expansion, according to Reuters.
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.
83.9 million passengers (2025)
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 km 2 with 8 runways, 16 taxiways, and 4 terminals by 2027.
SkyRefund's internal data further supports Istanbul Airport’s status as one of Europe’s busiest airports. Based on claims filed between January and December 2025, it ranks second among European airports, accounting for 9.1% of all passenger claims, which reflects its exceptionally high passenger traffic and operational intensity.
The management of Istanbul Airport has also put forward very ambitious passenger traffic projections. Forecasts for 2026 suggested that the airport could exceed 85 million passengers, potentially overtaking London Heathrow as Europe’s busiest airport. However, data released in 2025 by Türkiye’s General Directorate of State Airports Authority indicates that Istanbul Airport handled close to 84 million passengers in 2025, showing that while the growth trajectory is strong, the race for the top spot remains closer and more nuanced than initially projected.
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!
72.3 million passengers (2025)
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. Our internal data further confirms its high activity, as flights from Paris account for 8.1% of all passenger claims filed between January and December 2025, underlining the airport’s consistently busy operations.
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.
65.8 million passengers (2025)
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 for the Netherlands, Northern Germany, and Belgium, as well as a major transit point for intercontinental flights. SkyRefund’s internal data further supports this, confirming that Schiphol is among Europe’s busiest airports, ranking in the top three for the highest number of passenger claims and accounting for 10% of all our cases between January and December 2025.
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.
65.1 million passengers (2025)
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!
62.3 million passengers (2025)
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. SkyRefund's internal data supports this, with 5.6% of all passenger claims between January and December 2025 originating from flights involving Frankfurt Airport.
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.
55 million passengers (2025)
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 2026 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 2025, Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport was nominated for Europe’s Leading Airport at the World Travel Awards, while its concessionaires won FAB Awards for F&B, highlighting the airport’s strong service standards.
In our 2026 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:
*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.
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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