EU commercial flights reach 6.9 million in 2025 as aviation nears pre-pandemic levels

Commercial flights in the European Union reached 6.9 million in 2025, marking a 3.8% increase from the previous year. According to Eurostat, this growth represents a continuous upward trend since 2021, bringing aviation activity close to the pre-pandemic levels of 7 million flights recorded in 2019.

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport was the busiest in the EU by number of commercial flights, handling 488,000 operations. It was followed by Paris Charles de Gaulle with 476,000 flights and Frankfurt/Main with 457,000. Other major hubs in the top ten include Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona-El Prat, Munich, Rome Fiumicino, Athens, Copenhagen, and Dublin.

Scheduled flights accounted for 91.5% of the total, while non-scheduled services, such as charters and special flights, made up 8.5%. Non-scheduled activity peaked during the summer months, with the highest proportions recorded in June (11.2%), July (12.3%), and August (11.4%). Athens Eleftherios Venizelos recorded the highest share of non-scheduled flights among the top ten airports at 5.2%.