Cargo demand at European airports up in 2025

Figures from Airports Council International (ACI) Europe show that overall cargo demand at European airports increased by 3.2% year on year in 2025. Frankfurt returned to the top spot as its cargo volumes increased by 2% to 1.99 m tonnes. Over the course of the year, a steady upward trend in cargo volumes at Frankfurt Airport became apparent, the airport said. While the first half of the year was marked by overall stagnation, the second half of 2025 saw a significant rejuvenation. E-commerce proved to be a key growth driver. Routes from China to Europe also benefited from the abolition of the US de minimis rule, which caused the focus of trade to shift heavily to European markets. The result was clear growth in e-commerce consignments to Germany. Airport operator Fraport pointed out that unloaded cargo volumes from China set a new record of around 290,000 tonnes, up 26.9%, as per a report.