European airports saw cargo volumes rise in 2025, with Frankfurt reclaiming the lead from Istanbul, reported London's Air Cargo News.

Airports Council International Europe said overall cargo demand grew 3.2 per cent year on year. Frankfurt volumes rose two per cent to 1.99 million tonnes, while Istanbul slipped 0.6 per cent to 1.97 million tonnes.

Frankfurt Airport said growth was driven by e-commerce and China-Europe routes following the abolition of the US de minimis rule. Cargo from China set a record at 290,000 tonnes, up 26.9 per cent, while total two-way volumes reached 465,600 tonnes, up 21 per cent.

The Frankfurt-Shanghai route had the highest volumes, with Frankfurt-Chengdu and Frankfurt-Ezhou also among the fastest-growing. Traffic with the US fell 3.7 per cent, while Latin America rose three per cent, Africa 8.5 per cent, and Europe and the Middle East declined 1.8 and 5.1 per cent respectively.

Paris CDG ranked third with 1.92 million tonnes, up 2.3 per cent. London Heathrow volumes rose 0.8 per cent to 1.55 million tonnes, while Schiphol fell 4.2 per cent to 1.43 million tonnes.

Liege was the fastest-growing among the top 10, up 13.9 per cent to 1.3 million tonnes, followed by Madrid, up 9.6 per cent to 840,331 tonnes. Luxembourg saw the largest decline, down 0.9 per cent to 817,920 tonnes.

ACI noted that growth at major passenger hubs lagged behind the overall market, with none of the top five airports exceeding the 3.2 per cent European average.