Owais Crawford
Europe is home to some of the world's busiest and most well-known airports. London's Heathrow Airport, for instance, is often referred to as the central location for flying into London and is the busiest airport in Europe. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Frankfurt Airport, and Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suarez Airport are also among the busiest airports in Europe.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Busiest airport in Europe | London Heathrow Airport |
| Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport | |
| Amsterdam Schiphol Airport | |
| Frankfurt Airport | |
| Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suarez Airport | |
| Convenient for families | Zurich Airport |
| Heathrow Airport |
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What You'll Learn
London Heathrow: busiest airport in Europe
London Heathrow is Europe's busiest airport. It is the central location for flying into London, with over 80 airlines operating from the airport, providing direct flights and connections to other parts of Europe.
In 2025, a fire at an electrical substation near Heathrow Airport knocked out power to Europe's busiest hub, forcing it to shut down for approximately 18 hours. This caused widespread cancellations and disruptions, affecting around 200,000 passengers. The fire started just before midnight on Thursday, about 2 miles from the airport, and took firefighters around seven hours to bring under control.
Heathrow Airport is a large and complex airport with multiple levels and terminals. It is used by many travellers, including those connecting to other flights or travelling to London as their final destination.
Compared to other European airports, Heathrow handled the third-highest number of passengers in 2022, with a total of 57.5 million passengers. However, this represented a 24.5% decrease compared to 2019 figures, which stood at 76.2 million passengers.
In summary, London Heathrow is the busiest airport in Europe, offering connections to various destinations and serving millions of passengers annually. Its central role in European travel was highlighted by the significant impact of the 2025 fire incident, which caused travel disruptions for hundreds of thousands of passengers.
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Amsterdam Schiphol: third busiest airport in Europe
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, colloquially known as Schiphol Airport, is situated 9 kilometres (5.6 miles/4.9 nautical miles) southwest of Amsterdam, within the Haarlemmermeer municipality in North Holland. It is the main international airport of the Netherlands and is one of the major hubs for the SkyTeam airline alliance.
Schiphol Airport ranked as Europe's third busiest airport and the world's eleventh busiest by total passenger traffic in 2017. It also ranks as the world's fifth busiest by international passenger traffic and the world's sixteenth busiest for cargo tonnage. A record 71,706,999 passengers passed through the airport in 2019. The airport is built on the single-terminal concept: one large terminal split into three departure halls and six runways, one of which handles the majority of the air traffic. Schiphol has approximately 223 boarding gates, including eighteen double jetway gates used for widebody aircraft.
The airport's performance is a testament to its resilience and adaptability, making it a key player in the ongoing resurgence of global air travel. Schiphol's strategic position and operational efficiency are expected to play critical roles in shaping future travel dynamics. Schiphol Airport has consistently held its position as one of the world's leading airports. In 2021, it was celebrated as the third busiest globally for international passenger traffic.
Schiphol Airport is the base for several intercontinental airlines, including the Dutch flag carrier, KLM, and the airlines Transavia, Martinir, EasyJet, Vueling, and Level. The airport has expanded the number of uniform platforms and places to stow airplanes in recent years, with a third phase planned to expand the number of wide-body platforms. Schiphol's growth is hampered by slot restrictions from the government. For reasons of safety and noise reduction, the airport is allowed to have no more than 500,000 aircraft movements until the end of 2020.
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Paris Charles de Gaulle: third-highest passenger total in 2022
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) is one of Europe's busiest airports. In 2022, it handled the third-highest number of passengers on the continent. With 57.5 million passengers, it saw a significant increase of 119% compared to the previous year. This placed it just behind Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport (AMS) and the busiest airport in Europe, Istanbul Airport (IST).
Istanbul Airport in Turkey served as a key transit hub for travellers in 2022, with 64.3 million passengers. The airport's location on the borders of Europe and the Middle East makes it a convenient option for many. Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, on the other hand, faced challenges with staff shortages, which impacted its ability to handle the high demand for travel.
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport's high ranking is impressive, especially considering the challenges posed by the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and the Ukraine war. The airport served around 24.5% fewer passengers than in 2019, when 76.2 million passengers passed through its gates. However, it has shown a promising recovery, and its position as the airport with the most scheduled passenger airlines in the world will undoubtedly contribute to its future success.
In terms of delays and cancellations, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport also performed relatively well. While London's Heathrow Airport topped the list with 10.2 million delayed passengers, Paris Charles de Gaulle came in third with 9.4 million delayed travellers, closely following Frankfurt Airport. These statistics highlight the importance of efficient airport management to ensure smooth travel experiences for passengers.
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Istanbul Airport: busiest airport in 2022
Istanbul Airport was the busiest airport in Europe in 2022, with an average of 1,156 flights per day. This is according to the 2022 report of the European Air Navigation Safety Organization (Eurocontrol). Istanbul Airport was the only airport in Europe to reach pre-pandemic flight numbers. The airport served a total of 64.3 million passengers, a 73.8% increase on the previous year. Istanbul Airport was the 14th busiest in 2021 and 28th in 2020.
Istanbul Airport, Turkey's new aviation hub, opened fully in April 2019. Its location on the edge of Europe and the Middle East has made it a key transit hub for many passengers. The airport can currently handle 90 million passengers a year, but it is expected to be able to serve 200 million after the completion of all phases of construction, which would make it the largest in the world.
Istanbul Airport was followed by Amsterdam with 1,140 daily flights, Paris with 1,122, Frankfurt with 1,048, and London with 1,042. Amsterdam Schiphol Airport was the third busiest airport in Europe, with one main terminal and 6 concourses, totalling 165 boarding gates. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport was in a similar position, handling 57.5 million passengers, a 24.5% decrease compared to 2019. Frankfurt Airport is the fifth busiest airport in Europe and the largest in Germany. It is commonly used by vacationers and business travellers, providing easy access to city centres, hotels, and shopping.
London Heathrow Airport is often referred to as the central location for flying into London, with 80+ airlines providing direct flights and connections to other parts of Europe.
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Frankfurt Airport: fifth busiest airport in Europe
Frankfurt Airport is Germany's main international airport by passenger numbers, located in Frankfurt, Germany's fifth-largest city. It is also the busiest airport in Germany and the fifth busiest in Europe. The airport is centrally located in the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region, Germany's third-largest metropolitan region, which itself is located in the densely populated megalopolis of west-central Europe. This location, along with its strong rail and motorway connections, makes Frankfurt Airport a major transport node for the greater region. It is reachable by two of the most heavily used motorways in Europe, the A3 and A5, and by train, with trains available every 15 minutes.
Frankfurt Airport is the main hub for the German airline Lufthansa, including Lufthansa City Airlines, Lufthansa CityLine, and Lufthansa Cargo, as well as Condor and AeroLogic. It covers an area of 2,300 hectares (5,683 acres) of land and features two passenger terminals with a capacity of approximately 65 million passengers per year, four runways, and extensive logistics and maintenance facilities. In 2017, the airport handled 64.5 million passengers and nearly 70 million in 2018. As of 2022, Frankfurt Airport serves 330 destinations in 5 continents, making it the airport with the most direct routes in the world.
Frankfurt Airport celebrated its 80th anniversary in July 2016. The airport's history dates back to 1909 when the world's first airline, Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft (DELAG), was founded in Frankfurt am Main. DELAG built the first airport in Frankfurt, called Airship Base at Rebstock, which opened in 1912 and was primarily used for airships. Over the years, Frankfurt Airport has undergone several expansions, including the construction of new terminals, runways, and hangars, to accommodate increasing passenger traffic.
Frankfurt Airport is also the busiest airport in Europe by cargo traffic. In 2010, it was the second-busiest airport by cargo traffic in Europe after Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, handling over 2 million metric tonnes of freight. The airport has two large cargo areas, CargoCity Nord and CargoCity Süd, which accommodate freight handling facilities and various transport companies.
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Frequently asked questions
The busiest airports in Europe are London Heathrow Airport, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Frankfurt Airport, and Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suarez Airport.
London Heathrow Airport is often referred to as the central location for flying into London and the UK. It is used by 80+ airlines and provides both direct flights and connections to other parts of Europe.
Zurich Airport is a modern, calm, and comfortable airport, just 10 minutes away from the heart of the city. It has huge chocolate stores, comfortable lounges, very few delays, and cooperative staff. It also offers bicycle and inline skates on rent, as well as excursions for passengers with long layovers. Frankfurt Airport is also very efficient and easy to navigate, with lots of sleeping options, check-in stations, helpful signage, excellent stores, and food places.
