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According to the traffic report published by ACI Europe on May 13, 2026, European airports recorded a 3.1% decline in freight requests in March 2026 compared to the previous year. This development follows a solid start to the year. In contrast, passenger traffic grew by 3.8% during the same period. The movements of commercial aircraft increased by 1.3%. Despite the weaker results in March, the first quarter ended positively for the air freight sector. European airports processed 3% more freight in the first quarter of 2026 than in the same period last year, while passenger traffic increased by 4.3%.
Istanbul and Frankfurt lead
Among the largest airports in Europe, Frankfurt maintained its position as one of the leading freight hubs on the continent. The German airport processed 179,782 tons of freight in March, representing an increase of 1.1% compared to the previous year, although passenger traffic was 15.6% below 2019 levels. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport recorded 163,316 tons in March, which corresponds to a decline of 3%. Amsterdam Schiphol processed 128,281 tons, reflecting a decrease of 2.6%.
Istanbul Airport solidified its position as the busiest airport in Europe for passenger traffic in the first quarter, serving more than 19 million travelers. The Turkish airport also led in freight handling with 494,032 tons in the first quarter, marking an increase of 10.3% compared to the previous year. Frankfurt followed with 477,207 tons (+2.4%), closely followed by Paris CDG with 474,428 tons (+6.8%). Amsterdam Schiphol reached 361,829 tons (+4.9%), while London Heathrow with 378,421 tons was slightly below the previous year’s figures.
Several medium-sized airports recorded particularly strong freight performances. Milan-Bergamo Airport (BGY) increased its freight handling by 64.4% in March and by 63.6% in the first quarter. Prague achieved growth rates of 28% in March and 59.3% in the quarter. Luxembourg Airport also remained on a positive trajectory, processing nearly 75,000 tons in March with an increase of 2.3% year-on-year.
