The Busiest Air Routes in Europe

If you look at an air-route or air-corridor map of Europe, you will see there are many routes available to travelers across the vast continent. Many airlines that are not from the continent consider some of these airports to be important hubs in terms of international travel and have set up permanent routes. This article will explore 10 of the busiest air routes within Europe.

Busiest Air Routes in Europe

France

Paris Charles de Gaulle airport is the 2nd busiest airport in Europe in terms of overall passengers. The route between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Toulouse Blagnac airport ranks first on our list of the busiest air routes within Europe. 2.31 million passengers per year will travel between these two destinations. This is approximately 2-3% of the overall passengers that will travel to or from Paris Charles de Gaulle in 1 year. France is also home to another top 10 busiest European air routes, between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Nice Airport (also in France). This route will see 2.11 million passengers per year which positions this route as the third busiest within Europe.

Germany

Germany is home to 3 of the top 10 busiest routes in Europe. These routes are as follows: Munich and Berlin (1.97 million passengers per year), Frankfurt to Berlin (1.91 million passengers per year), and Munich to Hamburg (1.81 million passengers per year). Munich and Berlin are both considered major travel hubs for Europeans so it is somewhat surprising to find these routes ranked 5th, 7th, and 9th within Europe. All of these routes are localized within Germany itself.

Spain

Between the Barcelona-El Prat airport in Barcelona and the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport in Madrid, at least 2.25 million passengers will travel each and every year. This route ranks as the 2nd busiest within Europe. Many people will use this route to continue travelling through Europe, or using Barcelona-El Prat airport as their hub for international travel from Spain.

United Kingdom

Heathrow airport in London, England is the fourth busiest passenger airport in the entire world, so there are no surprises to find it on the list of the busiest flight paths in Europe. Approximately 1.68 million passengers will travel between Heathrow London and Dublin International Airport each year. Heathrow is the busiest passenger airport in Europe as well. This is the only route on our entire list that spans more than 1 country.

Italy

1.98 million passengers per year will travel between Catania-Fontanarossa airport in Sicily and the Leonardo da Vinci airport in Rome, Italy. Sicily is the largest island within the Mediterranean Sea, and is a massive tourist attraction for Italians, as well as international visitors. This route contains at least 25% of all passengers who travel to and from the Catania-Fontanarossa airport.

Norway

Norway is a reasonably small country so it is fascinating to see them have not one, but two of the busiest routes in Europe. Oslo Airport Gardermoen to Trondheim will carry 1.95 million passengers per year, ranking 6th on our list. Oslo Airport, Gardermoen to Bergen will carry 1.81 passengers, marking the 8th busiest European air route on our list.

Conclusion

As air travel becomes more affordable and frequent, many of these routes and their airports will need upgrades. Many of the airports mentioned have already seen renovations and expansion in order to cope with the increased travel of society.