Passenger and Freight Traffic at European Airports, 2018

Passenger and Freight Traffic at European Airports 2018

Source: Airports Council International.

Like its North American counterpart, the European air transport system shows a level of divergence between passenger and freight services, but to a lower extent. The level of airport activity is a function of the distribution of population, with lower incomes related to lower activity levels in Eastern Europe. The main airports are usually the hubs of national carriers such as British Airways (LHR), Air France (CDG), Lufthansa (FRA), KLM (AMS), or Iberia (MAD). Several Mediterranean airports are overrepresented as traffic intensity is mainly related to resort areas such as the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands.

The major freight airports are usually similar to the main passenger airports, but specialized freight airports, including Liege and Leipzig, have emerged. The majority of the freight activity takes place within a rectangle defined by London (LHR), Amsterdam (AMS), Frankfurt (FRA), and Paris (CDG). Little freight activity takes place around the Mediterranean.