Europe’s air connectivity struggles despite full passenger recovery in 2024

Air connectivity across Europe continues to lag behind pre-pandemic levels, even as passenger traffic has fully recovered and continues to grow. This is the key finding of the 2025 Airport Industry Connectivity Report, released by ACI Europe ahead of its 35th Annual Congress and General Assembly.

The report, based on the comprehensive connectivity indexes developed by SEO Amsterdam Economics, reveals that while total air connectivity (direct and indirect) increased by +7% in 2025, it remains -9% below 2019 levels. This gap suggests that while demand is back, passengers and communities are being offered fewer and often more expensive travel options.

ACI Europe is urging policymakers to recognise air connectivity as more than just a transport metric. “The data is crystal clear: Europe needs an urgent strategic policy reset that puts air connectivity at the heart of its competitiveness, cohesion and strategic autonomy,” said Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI Europe.

Several factors are behind the slow recovery: inadequate aviation policies, structural changes in travel demand, and geopolitical disruptions. Ukrainian airports have lost all connectivity, while airports in Russia (–43%) and Belarus (–70%) saw drastic declines.

The EU+ market (including the EU, EEA and UK) has performed slightly better (–8% vs. 2019) than the non-EU+ market (–12%), which suffered more from war-related disruptions and weaker aviation recovery. This mainly resulted from Ukrainian airports having lost all air connectivity whilst those in Russia (‑43%) and Belarus (‑70%) reporting dramatic drops.

Sun destinations drive the growth

Still, performance varies widely among individual countries. Greece (+35%), Portugal (+10%) and Cyprus (+8%) have emerged as post-pandemic winners. These markets were buoyed by strong demand for leisure travel and VFR, and supported by low-cost carriers.

On the other hand, Sweden (–33%), Finland (–30%), Austria and Germany (–21% each) posted some of the steepest declines. Rising national aviation taxes and limited policy support explain that trend.

Among the largest aviation markets, only Spain has exceeded its 2019 connectivity levels (+3%). Meanwhile, the UK (–7%), France (–14%), and Germany continue to trail. France’s recovery may face further setbacks due to its aviation tax increase in March 2025.

Airports: Istanbul Holds the Top Spot

Istanbul Airport remains Europe’s best-connected hub in terms of direct connectivity (+13% vs. 2019), with strong links to the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Europe. Amsterdam Schiphol (–4%) ranks second, benefiting from strong intra-European links, but faces future limitations due to government-imposed capacity cuts.

London Heathrow (–2%) comes third, leading in transatlantic connectivity and Middle East routes in Western Europe. Frankfurt (–11%) climbs to fourth, overtaking Paris CDG (–7%), thanks to a significant boost in Asia-Pacific connectivity (+17% vs. 2024).

Numerous airports fully recovered or surpassed their 2019 connectivity. It includes Antalya (+29%), Athens (+24%), Dublin (+8%), Palma de Mallorca (+11%), Lisbon (+4%), and Rome Fiumicino (+3%). All these destinations benefiting from leisure demand and low-cost carrier expansion. Direct connectivity from low-cost airlines has indeed grown by 19% since 2019, while full-service carriers (FSCs) have seen a 15% decline.

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