Istanbul Airport/Shutterstock ACI Europe data for March 2026 shows a sharp and sustained recovery in passenger traffic across the continent.
Passenger traffic at European airports continues to soar, and the numbers are breaking records. According to ACI Europe, Istanbul continues to lead the table of the continent's largest airports with a 7.7% increase in passenger numbers compared to the same period last year.
Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen Airport also recorded significant growth of 7.2%, further strengthening the city's position as one of the world's largest aviation capitals. They were followed by London Heathrow with a growth of 6.9%, Barcelona with 5.4% and Madrid with 4.2%.
In the Mega Airports category, Copenhagen Airport stood out with a jump of 16.2%, ahead of Dublin with 11%, Paris Orly with 10%, Malaga with 9.5% and Antalya with 9.2%.
Medium and small airports also showed exceptional growth figures. Reus in Spain recorded a 275.5% jump, Bratislava jumped by 162.9%, and Zadar in Croatia by 78.1%.
The most unusual figure was recorded at Odense Airport in Denmark, with a huge jump of more than 4,000% in the number of passengers, alongside sharp increases in Bucharest, Banja Luka, Växjö and Jönköping.
ACI Europe notes that high demand for flights, the strengthening of low-cost carriers, and the expansion of regional routes continue to drive the European aviation market forward, with Istanbul continuing to establish itself as the continent's central air hub.