Albania sees 25% rise in airport passenger traffic as European air travel stalls

European airport passenger numbers fell 0.7% in April 2026 compared with the same month a year earlier, according to ACI Europe. The decline was driven mainly by the non‑EU market, which dropped 7.6%, while the EU market grew modestly by 0.6%. Major hubs such as Madrid, Barcelona and Amsterdam recorded small gains, whereas airports in Germany, the United Kingdom and France saw declines. In contrast, smaller markets in the western non‑EU zone posted sharp increases: North Macedonia (+30.6%), Albania (+25.3%) and Moldova (+24.6%). The report highlights that the overall slowdown reflects lingering effects of the COVID‑19 recovery, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and recent labor strikes in Germany, while low‑cost carriers helped keep traffic at secondary airports relatively stable.