ACI EUROPE’s Full Year 2024 Traffic Report shows freight traffic across European airports surged in 2024, growing by 13.2% compared to the previous year, according to the latest industry report.
EU+ airports saw a 12.4% increase, while non-EU+ airports experienced even stronger growth at 18.4%.
Istanbul Becomes Europe’s Busiest Freight Hub
For the first time, Istanbul Airport claimed the top spot as Europe’s busiest freight airport, handling 1.97 million tons of cargo—an impressive 39.6% increase from the previous year.
It surpassed Frankfurt Airport, which processed 1.95 million tons, reflecting a 2.5% decline.
Top 5 European Freight Airports in 2024:
Istanbul Airport – 1.97 million tons (+39.6%)
Frankfurt Airport – 1.95 million tons (-2.5%)
Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) – 1.87 million tons (-1.3%)
London Heathrow – 1.53 million tons (-3.2%)
Amsterdam Schiphol – 1.49 million tons (-5%)
Notably, Liège Airport in Belgium recorded an exceptional 28% growth, handling 1.15 million tons of cargo.
Freight and Flight Activity Above Pre-Pandemic Levels
Overall, European air cargo traffic stood 11.8% above pre-pandemic (2019) volumes, signalling a strong recovery and increased global trade demand.
Aircraft movements across Europe also grew by 5.1% in 2024, though they remained 3.3% below 2019 levels, indicating that while freight operations are thriving, passenger air travel has yet to fully recover.
The strong cargo performance underscores the growing importance of air freight in European trade, with Istanbul’s rise signalling a shift in regional logistics power.