BRUSSELS, BELGIUM / EuroWire / — Passenger traffic across European airports fell 0.7 percent year-on-year in April 2026, marking the first annual decline since the region’s post-pandemic recovery began in April 2021. The figures, compiled by airport association ACI Europe, showed a break from several years of steady gains that had followed the severe contraction in air travel during the COVID-19 crisis.
The April decline contrasted with March, when passenger traffic across the European airport network increased 3.8 percent from the same month a year earlier. February traffic had risen 4.2 percent. The reversal came after Europe’s airports surpassed annual pre-pandemic passenger volumes in 2024, when the network handled more than 2.5 billion passengers and finished 1.8 percent above 2019 levels.
The latest data showed a mixed operating environment rather than a uniform decline across all markets. European aviation was affected in April by disruption linked to the Middle East conflict, elevated jet fuel prices, airspace restrictions, airline schedule changes and labor disruption in some markets. Airport-level figures reported by major operators showed wide differences between countries and hubs.
Traffic weakens after recovery milestone
Paris airports recorded a smaller decline than several other major hubs, while Frankfurt reported a sharper fall after strike action affected Lufthansa operations during the month. Spain remained positive, with the national airport network reporting passenger growth in April. The variation highlighted how local operating conditions shaped traffic performance across the wider European market.
The global airline backdrop also weakened in April. The International Air Transport Association reported that worldwide passenger demand, measured by revenue passenger kilometers, fell 3.4 percent year-on-year, its first global contraction since the pandemic period. Middle Eastern carriers recorded the steepest decline, while European carriers reported a modest increase in traffic on the same airline-demand measure.
Airport data shows uneven markets
European airport passenger data differs from airline demand data because it counts passengers using airports, while airline figures measure traffic flown by carriers. The airport decline therefore captured the pressure on airport networks, including transfer hubs, local origin and destination traffic, and disruptions that affected airport throughput during the month. The figures also followed a period in which leisure and international travel had driven much of Europe’s aviation recovery.
The April result placed renewed attention on the resilience of Europe’s aviation network after four years of recovery from pandemic-era lows. The decline was limited in scale but significant in timing, as it was the first negative annual reading since the rebound began. The data showed that European airport traffic had moved from broad post-pandemic expansion into a more uneven phase shaped by country-level performance, airline capacity decisions and operational disruptions.