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Commercial flights in the EU reached 6.9 million in 2025, an increase of 3.8% compared to the year before, new data has revealed.
A report published by Eurostat found that the number of flights in the EU has “risen continuously since 2021”, and by the end of 2025 had “returned to a level similar” to the pre-pandemic figure of seven million recorded in 2019.
In 2025, 91.5% were scheduled flights, defined by Eurostat as a “commercial air service operated according to a published timetable or with a regular frequency open to direct booking by the public”. Meanwhile, non-scheduled commercial flights, which include charter flights and other special services, made up the remaining 8.5%.
The summer months recorded the highest numbers of non-scheduled commercial flights in 2025. There were 648,707 commercial flights in June, of which 11.2% were non-scheduled, rising to 690,855 flights in July (12.3% non-scheduled) and 693,046 in August (11.4%).
Schiphol is the EU’s top airport for commercial flights
With 488,000 departures and arrivals, Amsterdam Schiphol in the Netherlands was the EU’s busiest airport for scheduled and non-scheduled commercial flights in 2025. Paris Charles de Gaulle in France was second with 476,000 flights, followed by Frankfurt/Main in Germany with 457,000.
Two Spanish airports, Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona-El Prat, made up the top five with 423,000 and 356,000 flights respectively.
Completing the top 10 were Munich in Germany (329,000), Rome Fiumicino in Italy (320,000), Athens/Eleftherios Venizelos in Greece (271,000), Copenhagen/Kastrup in Denmark (254,000) and Dublin in Ireland (252,000).
Of the top 10 busiest EU airports for commercial flights, the highest shares of non-scheduled flights were recorded at Athens/Eleftherios Venizelos (5.2%), Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas (4.8%) and Copenhagen/Kastrup (4.1%).
Top 10 EU airports for commercial flights in 2025
- 1. Amsterdam Schiphol: 488,000
- 2. Paris Charles de Gaulle: 476,000
- 3. Frankfurt/Main: 457,000
- 4. Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport: 423,000
- 5. Barcelona-El Prat: 356,000
- 6. Munich: 329,000
- 7. Rome Fiumicino: 320,000
- 8. Athens/Eleftherios Venizelos: 271,000
- 9. Copenhagen/Kastrup: 254,000
- 10. Dublin: 252,000
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