In 2025, Frankfurt regained its position as Europe's leading cargo airport, surpassing Istanbul as overall cargo demand rose by 3.2%.
European airports saw cargo volumes rise in 2025, with Frankfurt reclaiming the lead from Istanbul, reported London's Air Cargo News.
Airports Council International Europe stated that overall cargo demand grew by 3.2 percent year on year. Frankfurt's volumes rose by two percent to 1.99 million tonnes, while Istanbul experienced a decline of 0.6 percent to 1.97 million tonnes.
Frankfurt Airport attributed its growth to the surge in e-commerce and increased traffic on China-Europe routes following the abolition of the US de minimis rule. Cargo from China set a record at 290,000 tonnes, marking an increase of 26.9 percent, while total two-way volumes reached 465,600 tonnes, up by 21 percent.
The Frankfurt-Shanghai route recorded the highest volumes, with Frankfurt-Chengdu and Frankfurt-Ezhou also among the fastest-growing routes. In contrast, traffic with the US fell by 3.7 percent, while volumes from Latin America rose by three percent, Africa by 8.5 percent, and Europe and the Middle East declined by 1.8 percent and 5.1 percent, respectively.
Paris Charles de Gaulle ranked third with 1.92 million tonnes, reflecting a growth of 2.3 percent. London Heathrow's volumes increased by 0.8 percent to 1.55 million tonnes, while Schiphol saw a decline of 4.2 percent to 1.43 million tonnes.
Liege emerged as the fastest-growing airport among the top ten, with a remarkable increase of 13.9 percent to 1.3 million tonnes, followed by Madrid, which rose by 9.6 percent to 840,331 tonnes. Luxembourg experienced the largest decline, down by 0.9 percent to 817,920 tonnes.
ACI noted that growth at major passenger hubs lagged behind the overall market, with none of the top five airports exceeding the 3.2 percent European average.
