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Passenger traffic at European airports declines for first time since post-Covid recovery

The Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe) said on Thursday that passenger traffic at Europe’s airports fell in April for the first time since the post-Covid recovery began five years ago, amid disruptions linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

Oman News Agency

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Thursday, June 4, 2026

BRUSSELS – The traffic report for April 2026 showed that passenger traffic across the European airport network decreased by 0.7 percent compared to the same month last year.

The association, which is based in Brussels, added that this decline marks the first year-on-year drop in passenger traffic since the European aviation sector began recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2021.

“While we were already seeing passenger traffic growth return to normal levels following the strong post-pandemic recovery, geopolitical instability—particularly due to conflict in the Middle East—is casting a shadow over growth and revealing significant variations in performance across markets,” said Airports Council International Europe Director General Olivier Jankovec.

The sharp rise in oil prices linked to the conflict has also affected the transport and aviation sectors worldwide.

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