Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport emerged as the fastest‑growing airport in the category of major European hubs serving over 40 million passengers, according to ACI Europe’s Annual World Airport Traffic Report, 2025 edition.
Passenger traffic at the airport rose by 16.7 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year, reaching 48.41 million travelers.
The report also noted that Istanbul Airport maintained its position as the second busiest airport in Europe, recording a 5.5 percent increase in passenger traffic to 84.44 million. Despite this growth, it fell just short of London Heathrow, which retained the top spot with 84.48 million passengers, a modest 0.7 percent increase year‑on‑year. Over the past five years, Istanbul Airport’s traffic has expanded by nearly a quarter, underscoring its rapid ascent among Europe’s leading hubs, said the report.
Paris Charles de Gaulle secured third place with 72.02 million passengers, reflecting a 2.5 percent increase, while Amsterdam Schiphol ranked fourth with 68.77 million passengers, up 2.9 percent. Madrid followed closely in fifth position, welcoming 68.12 million passengers, a rise of 3 percent compared to the previous year.
In terms of freight traffic, Frankfurt Airport reclaimed the lead as Europe’s busiest cargo hub, handling 1.99 million tons, an increase of 2 percent. It overtook Istanbul, which processed 1.97 million tons, marking a slight decline of 0.6 percent. Paris Charles de Gaulle ranked third with 1.92 million tons (+2.3 percent), followed by London Heathrow with 1.55 million tons (+0.8 percent) and Amsterdam Schiphol with 1.43 million tons (‑4.2 percent).
