ATD in 2026: Global Air Traffic Trends and Data Collection Update

In 2026, our ATD team continues its work of collecting and analyzing data, at the heart of understanding the dynamics of global air transport. As in every first half of the year, our annual survey is currently underway, with several thousand airports contacted around the world in order to gather their traffic statistics.

While the publication of our quarterly bulletin, including regional rankings, will take place in April, the first responses already allow us to identify several key trends from 2025. We recently shared an initial preview through the publication, on our social media channels, of the ranking of the twenty busiest airports in the world.

At the top of the ranking, Atlanta Airport confirms its position as the world’s leading airport in terms of passenger traffic. It is followed by Dubai International Airport, which maintains its major role connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa. Tokyo Haneda completes this leading trio, illustrating the strong return of major Asian hubs in global traffic.

Beyond the top three, this ranking highlights several notable developments. Asia confirms its return to the forefront of global air traffic, with nine airports represented in the Top 20, a level comparable to that observed before the pandemic. Conversely, some major American hubs are experiencing a relative decline, particularly due to a reduction in foreign visitors, especially from Canada and Europe.

In Europe, London Heathrow Airport maintains its position as the leading European hub, despite limited growth, while Istanbul Airport continues its rise and is moving closer to the top of the European ranking. This momentum is also reflected in the strong growth of Sabiha Gökçen Airport, the second airport serving the Turkish metropolis, which continues its rapid development.

To support this analytical work and improve data collection from airports, we are also continuing to develop tools dedicated to our annual survey.

At the same time, we are also working on the development of an online platform designed to facilitate participation in our annual survey. Developed in collaboration with the ENVOL junior enterprise of ENAC, this tool will allow users to enter information directly through a structured online form, ensuring consistency in formats and validation of the various survey criteria.

A system for auto-filling previously submitted data is planned to simplify the annual update of information. The platform will also include a visualization space enabling participating airports to consult their data over several years and compare them with those of airports of similar size. Currently in the testing phase, this tool should be finalized during the year, with a launch scheduled for January 2027.