Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport recorded the highest passenger growth among Europe's largest airports in the first half of 2026, according to a report by Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe).
Passenger traffic at Sabiha Gokcen rose 6.4 percent compared with the same period last year, making it the fastest-growing airport in the Major Airports category, which includes hubs handling more than 40 million passengers annually.
The airport welcomed 23.6 million passengers in the first six months of 2026, marking a 7.1 percent increase from the same period last year.
The airport outperformed other major European hubs, including Barcelona (4.4 percent growth), Madrid (4.2 percent) and Rome Fiumicino (0.3 percent).
Geopolitical pressure slows overall growth
Sabiha Gokcen’s performance also exceeded the European average. Passenger traffic across Europe's airport network increased by 2.6 percent in the first six months of the year, while growth slowed from 4.3 percent in the first quarter to 1.3 percent in the second quarter.
ACI Europe attributed the slowdown partly to the impact of the war in the Middle East, which reduced traffic to the region and prompted some airlines to cut capacity as higher jet fuel prices increased operating costs.
Türkiye's airports recorded passenger traffic growth of 2.8 percent during the first half of the year, slightly above the European average.
Despite the slower pace across Europe, ACI Europe said Türkiye remained one of the stronger-performing major aviation markets.
Among Europe's busiest airports, London Heathrow retained its position as the continent's largest airport with a record 40 million passengers during the first half of the year, followed closely by Istanbul Airport with 39.84 million passengers.
Geopolitics shape air traffic
ACI Europe Director General Olivier Jankovec said geopolitical developments increasingly shaped aviation performance in 2026, but demand for air travel remained resilient.
"There is no escaping the fact that geopolitics have increasingly been shaping traffic performance this year," Jankovec said.
He added that European travellers continued to prioritise air travel despite supply-side pressures and that North American visitor numbers remained at record levels during the summer season.
According to the report, domestic passenger traffic across Europe grew by 3 percent during the first half of the year, outpacing international traffic, which increased by 2.5 percent.
It marked the first time since the aviation industry's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that domestic travel grew faster than international travel.
