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.
- Istanbul Airport is currently the largest airport in Europe by seat capacity, surpassing London Heathrow.
- Eight out of the top 10 airports in Europe by seat capacity were also in the top 10 before the pandemic.
- London Heathrow is projected to regain the top spot in summer 2022.
- The pandemic disrupted the stability of Europe's top 10 airports ranking, with several airports falling out of the list.
- The top six airports in Europe are expected to resume their pre-pandemic order of ranking once they fully recover.
- Point-to-point and leisure airports, such as London Gatwick and Palma de Mallorca, may displace some second-tier hubs in the top 10.
Summary
- Istanbul Airport is Europe's biggest airport by seats in the week commencing 24-Jan-2022, whereas London Heathrow was the pre-pandemic number one.
- Eight of the current top 10 airports 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.
- The pandemic shattered the stability of Europe's top 10 airports ranking.
- The pre-pandemic order is largely reassembling, but point-to-point/leisure airports may displace one or two second tier hubs.
Istanbul Airport is Europe's biggest airport by seats in the week commencing 24-Jan-2022
The top 10 airports by seats to/from/within Europe in the week of 24-Jan-2022 are shown in the table below (source: CAPA/OAG).
It may be surprising to some to see that Istanbul Airport is at number one and that Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) is also in the top 10, at number eight.
The presence of two Turkish airports among Europe's leaders reflects the relatively strong recovery of Turkey's aviation market, led by its large domestic market. The two Istanbul airports have the highest percentage of the capacity they had in the equivalent week of 2019 (78% for Istanbul Airport and 86% for SAW).
Dubai's ranking at number 10 may also be a surprise, given that it is not located in Europe. Its presence in the top 10 may be seen as encouraging for the return of intercontinental traffic flows.
Top 10 airports by seats to/from/within Europe, week of 24-Jan-2022
|
Rank |
Airport |
Seats |
Percentage of 2019 seats* |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Istanbul |
1,169,722 |
78% |
|
2 |
964,201 |
53% |
|
|
3 |
893,808 |
73% |
|
|
4 |
888,259 |
59% |
|
|
5 |
872,036 |
64% |
|
|
6 |
805,994 |
53% |
|
|
7 |
Moscow SVO |
655,547 |
59% |
|
8 |
Istanbul SAW |
639,881 |
86% |
|
9 |
Barcelona |
507,154 |
53% |
|
10 |
465,344 |
79% |
Eight of the current top 10 were in the pre-pandemic top 10
However, most of the airports in the top 10 have a familiar look. Eight of them were in the top 10 before the pandemic in the equivalent week of 2019.
Top 10 airports by seats to/from/within Europe, week of 21-Jan-2019
|
Rank |
Airport |
Seats |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
1,810,736 |
|
|
2 |
1,511,242 |
|
|
3 |
1,511,232 |
|
|
4 |
1,496,778 |
|
|
5 |
1,370,442 |
|
|
6 |
1,232,430 |
|
|
7 |
1,115,693 |
|
|
8 |
Moscow SVO |
1,104,740 |
|
9 |
Barcelona |
959,114 |
|
10 |
Rome FCO |
884,539 |
All of the top six were in the pre-pandemic top six
The top six airports in the week of 24-Jan-2022 are the same six that topped the list in the week of 21-Jan-2019, albeit in a different order.
London Heathrow was then the number one airport, but is now second, while Ataturk Airport (the predecessor of Istanbul Airport) was at number four. The pre-pandemic top three had Paris CDG and number two (it is currently ranked fourth) and Frankfurt at number three (now sixth).
The pre-pandemic top three - Heathrow, CDG and Frankfurt - are now at only 53%-59% of their 2019 capacity.
Amsterdam - at 64% of 2019 capacity - was then, and is still now, at number six.
Madrid - on 73% - was ranked sixth in Jan-2019, but is now third.
Moscow Sheremetyevo was then eighth, but has risen to seventh now. Munich and Rome Fiumicino, both in the top 10 before the pandemic, have now fallen out of this list of leaders.
London Heathrow to return to number one in summer 2022
Based on schedules filed with OAG for the week of 20-Jun-2022 and seat configurations from the CAPA Fleet Database, London Heathrow is projected to return to the number one slot in summer 2022.
Frankfurt is projected to rise to number three and Paris CDG to number four.
Istanbul, projected to be in second place, is set to continue to disrupt the pre-pandemic top three ranking in the week of 20-Jun-2022. It has been the most resilient of the leading airports in Europe throughout the pandemic.
Amsterdam and Madrid are projected at five and six, maintaining the pre-pandemic top six as the top six this summer (but in a different order).
Munich, which was seventh before the pandemic but dropped out of the top 10 when the crisis hit, is projected to make a return - at number eight.
Top 10 pre-pandemic airports by seats in Europe: six monthly evolution of weekly seat numbers, Jan-2019 to Jun-2022*
Munich fell to only 8% of 2019 capacity levels in Jan-2021
Expressed as a percentage of capacity in the equivalent week of 2019, Munich's capacity fell the furthest of the airports in the pre-pandemic top 10.
In the week of 25-Jan-2021, Munich had only 8% of 2019 capacity levels. The next lowest in that same week were Barcelona and Rome FCO, both on 14%.
However, in the week of 22-Jun-2020: Madrid was at 10% and Munich was at 11%, Barcelona was at 12%, and Rome FCO at 13%.
Jun-2022: Istanbul projected at 100%, Heathrow at 99% of 2019 seats
Data from OAG and CAPA for the week of 20-Jun-2022 currently project Istanbul at 100% of 2019 capacity, just ahead of Heathrow at 99% and Amsterdam at 96%.
Among the pre-pandemic top 10 airports, the lowest percentages of 2019 levels are projected at 73% for Moscow SVO and 74% for Rome FCO.
Top 10 pre-pandemic airports by seats in Europe: weekly capacity as a percentage of the equivalent week of 2019*, Jan-2019 to Jun-2022 (projected)
The pandemic shattered the stability of Europe's top 10 airports ranking
The previous two charts only show the evolution of capacity for the airports that were in the top 10 by seats in Europe before the coronavirus pandemic.
The graphic below illustrates how the list of top 10 airports by seats in Europe has changed, including airports that were not in the pre-pandemic list but came into the top 10 at some point during the COVID-19 era.
For those pre-pandemic top 10 airports that fell out of the top 10, the graphic also shows the ranking to which they fell (based on weeks in late January and late June at six monthly intervals).
Before the crisis, membership of the top 10 and of the top six was stable, with only minor changes in the order.
The initial phase of the pandemic shattered this stability, sending four airports (Barcelona, Rome FCO, Munich and Madrid) out of the top 10 and briefly bringing Moscow Domodedovo in at number one in Jun-2020.
Munich and Madrid even fell out of the top 20 in Jun-2020; Munich dropped as low as 29th in Jan-2021.
The pre-pandemic number one airport, London Heathrow, fell out of the top six for a year or more.
How the list of top 10 airports by seats in Europe has changed, Jan-2019 to Jun-2022* (projected)
The pre-pandemic order is largely reassembling…
However, the top six and eight of the top eight are now reassembled (even if their order is slightly different).
Heathrow is expected to return to number one, based on Jun-2022 projections.
The remaining two airports that were previously in the top 10 are close to re-entering. Moscow SVO is projected in 11th place and Rome FCO in 13th in the week of 20-Jun-2022.
Once all the leading airports return to 100% (or more) of their pre-pandemic capacity, it seems likely that the old top six - comprising Europe's leading hub airports - will fully resume its previous order of ranking.
Istanbul has operated at higher percentages of 2019 capacity than most of the others through much of the crisis, but London's projected return to the top of the list in Jun-2022 suggests that both Paris CDG and Frankfurt are likely to outrank Istanbul once more when they also fully recover pre-pandemic capacity levels.
…but point-to-point/leisure airports may displace second tier hubs
Nevertheless, there may be potential for a change in the composition of the top 10 below this top six.
In particular, airports focusing more on point-to-point and leisure traffic may displace one or two of the second tier hubs.
Two airports not previously in the top 10 are projected at number nine and number 10 in Jun-2022. These are London Gatwick and Palma de Mallorca, two of Europe's leading leisure and short/medium haul airports.
This reflects the likely trends that leisure and short/medium haul markets will continue to lead the recovery in summer 2022.