Athens Echoes Copenhagen and More as Europe Airport Cities Take Centre Stage for Smoother Travel Experiences With Most Efficient Airports

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Athens echoes Copenhagen and more as Europe’s airport cities take centre stage for smoother travel experiences with some of the most efficient airports. Today, Athens, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Zurich, Stuttgart and Basel are drawing attention from global travellers seeking efficient airports and convenient European journeys. Moreover, these airport cities connect major attractions, cultures and experiences through busy international gateways. Travel And Tour World explores how airport efficiency is shaping travel across Europe and why these destinations matter to modern travellers. From Athens to Copenhagen and more, efficient airports can influence how smoothly journeys begin and end. Therefore, Travel And Tour World urges readers to explore the entire story for essential insights.

Europe’s Most Efficient Airports: Athens and Five High-Performing Gateways Every Traveller Should Know

Athens Airport sets the benchmark for large European gateways

Athens International Airport has received the 2026 Europe Airport Efficiency Excellence award from the Air Transport Research Society, or ATRS.

The airport ranked first in Europe among airports serving more than 30 million passengers annually.

ATRS evaluates nearly 200 commercial airports worldwide through its annual benchmarking programme. Its assessment covers financial efficiency, productivity, competitiveness and wider economic and social contribution.

The distinction is particularly relevant because Athens is now operating at a scale far above its pre-pandemic traffic.

Athens International Airport handled 33.99 million passengers in 2025, up 6.7% from 2024. The airport also reported that 2025 traffic was 33% above 2019 levels.

The previous annual record was set in 2024, when the airport processed 31.85 million passengers, 13.1% more than in 2023.

The longer recovery story is equally important.

In 2023, Athens handled 28.17 million passengers, already 10.2% above 2019 traffic. The airport also connected travellers with 156 city destinations in 57 countries through 66 airlines that year.

Athens Airport passenger traffic, 2021–2025

The 2021 and 2022 figures are reported in Athens International Airport’s official traffic material, while the 2023–2025 figures come from subsequent airport reports.

For travellers, Athens works especially well as a gateway rather than only as a city-break destination.

Visitors can spend two or three days exploring the Acropolis, Plaka, the Acropolis Museum, Monastiraki and the historic centre.

They can then continue towards the Cyclades, Crete, the Peloponnese or northern Greece.

The airport’s connection with Athens city centre also gives visitors several transport choices.

The Metro Line 3 provides a direct airport connection towards central Athens, while Airport Express buses operate on several routes. The X95 connects with Syntagma, while X96 serves Piraeus.

For food, travellers should build time around Greek classics such as souvlaki, moussaka, grilled seafood, Greek salad, feta and traditional pastries.

For accommodation, central areas around Syntagma, Plaka, Monastiraki and Koukaki provide convenient bases for first-time visitors.

A practical three-day plan begins with the Acropolis and historic centre on Day 1.

Day 2 can combine museums, Plaka and central markets.

Day 3 can be reserved for the Athenian Riviera or a short excursion before continuing to another Greek destination.

Copenhagen Airport combines efficiency with Nordic connectivity

Copenhagen Airport is another important European example because ATRS recognised it among Europe’s efficiency leaders in the 10–30 million passenger category in its 2026 awards. ATRS also cited Copenhagen among airports receiving recognition for sustained operational efficiency in earlier benchmarking.

The airport has subsequently moved beyond the 30-million-passenger threshold.

Copenhagen recorded 32.4 million passengers in 2025, its highest annual total. The previous record was 30.3 million passengers in 2018.

The airport’s passenger recovery has been substantial.

Copenhagen Airport passenger traffic

Copenhagen Airport’s official figures show the sharp recovery from 9.2 million passengers in 2021 to 26.8 million in 2023.

One interesting efficiency-related indicator is the relationship between passengers and aircraft movements.

In 2024, Copenhagen handled 29.9 million passengers even though the number of passenger aircraft movements was nine percent below the level five years earlier.

The airport attributed this partly to larger and newer aircraft, with 34% of aircraft at the airport classified as newer types such as Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX.

For travellers, Copenhagen is particularly convenient because the airport provides a gateway to Denmark and wider Northern Europe.

A three-day visit can begin around Nyhavn, Amalienborg Palace and the historic centre.

The second day can focus on Tivoli Gardens, museums and Christianshavn.

The third day can explore Nørrebro, Vesterbro or Frederiksberg.

The official Copenhagen tourism organisation recommends neighbourhoods including Vesterbro, Nørrebro, Christianshavn and Østerbro for different local experiences.

Food should include Danish pastries, open-faced smørrebrød, seafood and contemporary Nordic cuisine.

For accommodation, the city centre, Vesterbro and Christianshavn offer practical bases for short stays.

Travellers seeking a quieter atmosphere can consider Østerbro or Frederiksberg.

Copenhagen’s official tourism platform also provides dedicated three-day and 72-hour itineraries, making the city easy to structure around a short airport-linked break.

Amsterdam Schiphol shows how efficiency connects with massive scale

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol provides another useful comparison.

ATRS named Schiphol Europe’s most efficient airport in the over-40-million-passenger category in 2022. That historical recognition makes Schiphol an important benchmark for large European hubs.

Schiphol’s passenger volumes have also recovered strongly.

Amsterdam Schiphol passenger traffic

Official Schiphol figures show that passenger traffic reached 68.8 million in 2025. The airport also handled 477,552 air transport movements and connected the Netherlands with 300 destinations during the year.

In 2024, Schiphol reported that 91% of travellers passed security within 10 minutes.

It also ranked second among European hub airports for on-time performance according to the airport’s 2024 reporting.

Schiphol’s connectivity is another major advantage for tourists.

The airport reported 301 direct destinations in 2024, including 124 intercontinental destinations.

For travellers, this makes Amsterdam particularly useful for combining a Netherlands holiday with another European destination.

A three-day Amsterdam itinerary can start with the historic canal district and a canal cruise.

Day 2 can focus on Museumplein, including the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum.

Day 3 can explore Jordaan, De Pijp, Westerpark or Amsterdam Noord.

The official city tourism organisation highlights the Museum Quarter, canal ring, Jordaan and neighbourhoods outside the historic centre.

Visitors should try Dutch pancakes, herring, stroopwafels, Dutch cheeses and contemporary Dutch cuisine.

For accommodation, the Canal Ring offers central access, while Jordaan and De Pijp provide more neighbourhood-oriented stays.

Amsterdam is particularly suitable for travellers who want to use one airport as the beginning of a wider European journey.

Zurich Airport combines transfer traffic with a compact city experience

Zurich Airport was recognised by ATRS as Europe’s most efficient airport in the 25–40 million passenger category in 2022.

Its recent statistics show how quickly the airport returned to high passenger volumes.

Zurich Airport passenger traffic

In 2025, Zurich Airport recorded 32.59 million passengers and 270,116 total aircraft movements.

Transfer passengers represented 9.31 million of the total, while local passengers accounted for 23.23 million.

The airport also reported a 79.8% average seat load factor in 2025.

Passenger traffic exceeded the previous record, while aircraft movements remained 1.9% below 2019 levels.

That makes Zurich especially relevant for travellers using the airport as both an arrival point and a transfer gateway.

For a short city break, visitors can reach central Zurich and explore the Old Town, Grossmünster, Fraumünster, Bahnhofstrasse and Lindenhof.

Lake Zurich provides another major attraction.

The official tourism organisation highlights lake cruises, swimming, boating and lakeside walks as popular experiences.

Food travellers can sample Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, rösti, Birchermüesli and Luxemburgerli.

The Old Town and Niederdorf provide numerous restaurants and cafés.

For accommodation, District 1 is practical for sightseeing, while areas near the lake offer a more relaxed setting.

A two-day itinerary can cover the Old Town and Bahnhofstrasse on Day 1.

Day 2 can combine the lake promenade, a boat excursion and Zurich West.

The city’s official tourism guide specifically recommends combining the historic centre, Zurich West, food and a Lake Zurich experience during a short visit.

Stuttgart Airport shows how smaller gateways can deliver strong efficiency

Stuttgart Airport is another historically recognised ATRS efficiency performer.

ATRS awarded Stuttgart the most efficient airport title in Europe’s 10–25 million passenger category in 2022.

Its passenger volumes were heavily affected by the pandemic but subsequently recovered.

Stuttgart Airport passenger traffic

Stuttgart Airport recorded 9.57 million passengers in 2025, alongside 95,765 aircraft movements.

The airport served 124 destinations in 40 countries through 39 airlines during 2025.

The airport’s five-year recovery is especially clear.

Passenger numbers almost doubled between 2021 and 2022.

They then moved above eight million in 2023 and nine million in 2024.

For travellers, Stuttgart provides access to a city known for automotive heritage, palaces, museums, vineyards and Swabian food.

The city centre around Schlossplatz is a practical base.

The official tourism organisation identifies Stuttgart-Mitte as the heart of the city, with Schlossplatz, the Old and New Palaces, Schlossgarten and Königstrasse nearby.

Travellers should try Maultaschen, Kässpätzle, Zwiebelrostbraten and regional wines.

The official tourism organisation highlights Swabian specialities alongside Stuttgart’s wine culture and international restaurants.

A three-day plan can begin with Schlossplatz and the city centre.

Day 2 can explore automotive attractions and museums.

Day 3 can move towards vineyards and surrounding cultural areas.

Accommodation around Stuttgart-Mitte works well for visitors who want to reduce local travel time.

The airport’s smaller scale compared with Amsterdam or Frankfurt can also make Stuttgart a useful alternative gateway for travellers visiting southwestern Germany.

EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg provides a trinational gateway

EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg is another current ATRS efficiency award recipient.

In 2026, ATRS recognised EuroAirport as Europe’s most efficient airport in the under-10-million-passenger category.

The airport handled 9.6 million passengers in 2025, making it the busiest year in its history.

It also reported that more than 2.4 million passengers used the airport during the 10-week summer holiday period.

EuroAirport passenger traffic

EuroAirport’s 2024 passenger volume was around 98% of the 2019 level.

The airport also recorded 94,124 total aircraft movements in 2024.

Around 30 airlines served approximately 100 destinations, mainly across Europe and the Mediterranean.

The airport is particularly interesting for travellers because of its cross-border position.

It serves the trinational region surrounding Basel, Mulhouse and Freiburg.

Basel itself is an attractive city-break destination.

Visitors can explore Basel Minster, the Old Town, Marktplatz and the city’s museums.

The official tourism organisation also highlights the Rhine, architectural attractions and cultural institutions.

Food options range from Swiss classics to international cuisine.

Basel’s official tourism platform highlights local specialities, Swiss dishes, street food, vegetarian options and restaurants along the Rhine.

For accommodation, Basel’s Old Town and central districts are practical for first-time visitors.

A three-day itinerary can cover the Old Town and Basel Minster on Day 1.

Day 2 can focus on museums and the Rhine.

Day 3 can be used for a cross-border excursion towards nearby France or Germany.

The airport’s position makes it particularly suitable for travellers who want to combine several European regions within one trip.

Five-year comparison of the efficiency-focused European airports

The figures demonstrate different scales rather than a simple airport-to-airport performance ranking.

Schiphol handles more than twice the passenger volume of Athens, while Stuttgart and EuroAirport operate below 10 million annual passengers.

Athens and Zurich both crossed 30 million passengers in 2025, while Copenhagen reached 32.4 million.

The comparison therefore shows why ATRS uses passenger categories when assessing airport efficiency.

Traffic recovery comparison from 2021 to 2025

These calculations use the published annual passenger totals and are intended to show traffic recovery across the five-year period.

They should not be interpreted as the percentage of unique tourists visiting each destination.

Transfer passengers can also be counted differently between airports and reporting systems.

Schiphol, for example, explains that connecting travellers can be counted twice under international passenger-counting methodology.

Which airport fits which type of traveller?

A practical European airport-hopping itinerary

Travellers wanting to experience several efficient European gateways can build a multi-city journey around rail and air connections.

Days 1–3: Athens

Explore the Acropolis, historic centre, Plaka and Athenian food scene.

Use the capital as a base before continuing towards the islands or another Greek region.

Days 4–6: Zurich

Fly or connect onwards to Zurich.

Explore the Old Town, Lake Zurich and the city’s food districts.

Add a mountain or lakeside excursion if time allows.

Days 7–9: Amsterdam

Continue towards Amsterdam.

Use the first day for the canals and historic centre.

Reserve the second for Museumplein and the third for neighbourhood exploration.

Days 10–12: Copenhagen

Continue north for Copenhagen.

Combine Nyhavn, Tivoli, Christianshavn and Nørrebro.

Food-focused travellers can devote an evening to contemporary Nordic cuisine.

Days 13–15: Stuttgart

Move south into Germany.

Explore Stuttgart’s palace district, automotive attractions and vineyards.

Finish with traditional Swabian cuisine.

Days 16–18: Basel

End the itinerary around Basel.

Explore the Old Town, museums and Rhine waterfront.

The trinational setting also allows travellers to extend the journey into neighbouring France or Germany.

What the efficiency data means for global travellers

The most important lesson from these airports is that efficiency does not mean the same thing everywhere.

Athens has demonstrated high efficiency while handling more than 30 million passengers.

Copenhagen has combined expanding passenger volumes with fewer aircraft movements than five years earlier.

Schiphol operates at a much larger scale while maintaining extensive connectivity.

Zurich combines major transfer traffic with a strong local passenger base.

Stuttgart and EuroAirport demonstrate how smaller airports can deliver recognised efficiency while serving important regional tourism markets.

The ATRS awards therefore provide a useful reference point for understanding airport performance, but they are not a ranking of holiday destinations.

For travellers, the practical benefit is different.

Efficient airport systems can make it easier to connect flights with city transport, accommodation and onward journeys.

That can be particularly valuable when a holiday includes several destinations.

Athens, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Zurich, Stuttgart and Basel each offer a different travel proposition.

Together, their traffic statistics show how Europe’s major gateways have moved from pandemic-era disruption into a period of sustained international travel demand.

Key airport statistics at a glance

Athens’ 2025 passenger and connectivity figures come from its annual reporting. Copenhagen’s 2025 passenger total comes from Copenhagen Airport’s official announcement. Schiphol, Zurich, Stuttgart and EuroAirport publish their respective annual operational statistics.

Conclusion

Athens, Copenhagen and more European airport cities are taking centre stage as efficient airports reshape the travel experience. From Athens Airport to gateways serving Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Zurich, Stuttgart and Basel, these airports connect global travellers with major European destinations. Moreover, strong passenger networks, transport links and recognised operational performance make these airport cities important travel gateways. For holidaymakers, smoother airport experiences can create more convenient journeys from arrival to onward exploration. Travel And Tour World highlights these destinations to help travellers understand the changing European airport landscape. As efficient airports continue to attract attention, Athens and its European counterparts offer new possibilities for memorable journeys.