Is Schiphol the busiest airport in Europe?

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Netherlands Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the third busiest airport in Europe, handling over 71 million passengers annually. The airport is located in Amsterdam and serves as a hub for KLM and other airlines.



No, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) is currently not the busiest airport in Europe as of 2026, though it consistently remains in the top four. The title of busiest airport in Europe is currently held by London Heathrow (LHR), followed closely by Istanbul Airport (IST) and Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG). In 2025, Schiphol handled approximately 68.8 million passengers, placing it in fourth position. The airport’s growth has been somewhat tempered by "green" policy debates in the Netherlands regarding flight caps and noise reduction, which have limited its capacity compared to the rapidly expanding hub in Istanbul. However, Schiphol remains a world-class "transfer hub" and is famous for its "one-terminal" concept, which makes connecting between flights significantly easier than at the multi-terminal sprawls of London or Paris. While it may not be #1 in raw volume, it remains a high-value peer favorite for its efficiency, the Rijksmuseum annex, and its seamless rail connection directly to the heart of Amsterdam.

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It is the world's third busiest airport by international passenger traffic in 2021.

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Schiphol is the biggest airport in the Netherlands, and the 4th largest in Europe. The airport is built as one large terminal split into 3 large departure halls.

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Schiphol Airport no longer one of the best in the world Unlike its European neighbours, Dutch airports had a fairly poor showing in this year's edition of the World Airport Awards. Sadly - but certainly not surprisingly - Schiphol Airport fell 14 places, from 15th place in 2022 to 29th place in 2023.

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According to new data, the title has recently been reclaimed by London's Heathrow Airport. Having processed over 3.6 million passengers in September, Heathrow is now officially busier than the likes of Paris Charles de Gaulle, Amsterdam Schiphol and Frankfurt am Main International.

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Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands had a capacity of more than 2.5 million in August, while Dubai registered almost 200,000 fewer seats.

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Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport remains the busiest airport in the world with 5.2 million seats in September 2023. The composition of the Global Top 10 Busiest Airports is also the same as last month but there are a few changes to the rankings.

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Amsterdam Schiphol Airport has many things going for it. Its the only hub of its national airline KLM and the only big airport in the Netherlands. KLM has been very successful in selling its long-haul flights, creating a large business for Schiphol in transit passengers.

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Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is Netherlands' main airport and a true gateway into Europe. More than 105 airlines operate from Schiphol (pronounced 'skip-hol') to 327 destinations worldwide, making it one of the world's busiest airports.

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Europe - London Gatwick The facility primarily uses the 3,316-meter-long (10,879 feet) 08R/26L as its main runway, with the 2,565-meter (8,415 feet) 08L/26R typically serving as a taxiway.

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Charles de Gaulle Airport is the biggest airport in Europe based on its land size and the third based on its estimated passenger traffic after Istanbul Atatürk Airport and Istanbul Airport.

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Top 10 airports in Europe
  • 1- Charles de Gaulle Airport, France. ...
  • 2- Zurich Airport, Switzerland. ...
  • 3- Munich International Airport, Germany. ...
  • 4- Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Netherlands. ...
  • 5- Copenhagen Kastrup International Airport, Denmark. ...
  • 6- Helsinki Airport, Finland. ...
  • 7- Hamburg Airport, Germany.


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1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (45.4 million) Located 10 miles from downtown Atlanta, Georgia's Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is a massive domestic and international hub for air travel—especially for those traveling with Delta Air Lines and its partners.

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The airfield is managed by three FAA air traffic control towers. O'Hare has a voluntary nighttime (22:00–07:00) noise abatement program. Currently, O'Hare has the most runways of any civilian airport in the world, totaling eight.

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