Heathrow and Istanbul at the Top: Which are the Busiest Airports in the World and Europe in 2025

The aviation industry is demonstrating steady growth, with the number of passengers worldwide reaching an impressive 9.8 billion in 2025. According to the latest report from Airports Council International (ACI) World, European transport hubs continue to dominate global rankings.

Leaders in Europe and the World

London's Heathrow solidifies its status as the busiest in Europe, handling over 84.4 million passengers last year. Although it has dropped two positions in the global ranking to seventh place, it shows a slight increase compared to the previous year.

Immediately following the British capital is the Turkish Istanbul airport with 84.43 million passengers. Although it has slightly declined in the global rating, Istanbul demonstrates a massive leap compared to its low positions in 2019.

Top Airports by Passenger Traffic

The ranking of the busiest European airports also includes several other key hubs:

• Paris Charles de Gaulle – 72 million passengers (14th in the world);
• Amsterdam Schiphol – 68.77 million passengers (17th in the world);
• Madrid Barajas – 68.11 million passengers (18th in the world).

International Focus

Interestingly, when looking solely at international passenger traffic, the positions of European airports improve. In this context, Heathrow is the second busiest in the world with nearly 80 million international passengers. Following it in the global top 10 for international flights, Amsterdam Schiphol, Istanbul, Paris, and Frankfurt stand out.

Experts from ACI World note that although European airports remain critically important for global transport, many of them are already operating close to their capacity limits.