European airport capacity rankings: Both Istanbul and Sabiha Gökçen in top 10

The COVID-19 pandemic shattered the stability of Europe's rankings of leading airports by seat capacity.

It even sent the pre-pandemic leader, London Heathrow, tumbling out of the top six - the top of a group whose status always seemed assured by virtue of being the continent's major hub airports (Heathrow, Paris CDG, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Amsterdam and Madrid). The crisis led Istanbul to the top of the list as Europe's biggest airport by seats, whereas Barcelona, Rome Fiumicino, Munich and Madrid crashed out of the top 10 altogether.

However, the old order is largely reassembling.

Eight of the top 10 airports in the week commencing 24-Jan-2022 were in the pre-pandemic top 10, and all of the top six were in the pre-pandemic top six (albeit in a different order). London Heathrow is projected to return to number one in summer 2022, according to OAG schedules.

Nevertheless, the potential entry of London Gatwick and Palma de Mallorca into the Jun-2022 top 10 suggests that one or two second tier hubs could be overtaken by point-to-point/leisure airports as the recovery unfolds.