Key points
- Europe has 8 of the world's 50 busiest airports in 2024: Spain 2, and 1 each in the UK, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Turkey.
- The one dated item in this region is at Heathrow: UK Health Security Agency airport notices were observed there during Ebola surveillance in September 2026.
- The UK also publishes measles-on-a-flight guidance. For the other 7 airports, no airport-specific health item was found in research.
- That absence is absence of evidence, not evidence of absence. No airport on this page is described as having 'no measures'.
- For passenger figures, see the directory — the only page on this site that carries them. This page lists ranks, airports and cities only.
Direct answer: Europe has 8 of the world's 50 busiest airports in 2024 — two in Spain, and one each in the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Turkey. The one dated item found in this region is at Heathrow: UK Health Security Agency airport notices were observed there during Ebola surveillance in September 2026, and the UK publishes measles-on-a-flight guidance. For the other seven airports, no airport-specific health item was found in research — absence of evidence, not evidence of absence. No airport on this page is given a health rating, because no public per-airport rating exists.
The 8 airports
Passenger figures are not repeated here — the directory is the only page on this site that carries them. Ranks are from the 2024 ranking (ACI World Airport Traffic Dataset, 2025 Edition); ranks 21–50 are DRAFT, as the directory explains. Istanbul sits on both continents; it is grouped with Europe here, following the region structure in the research behind this area — a presentation choice, not a claim about the airport.
| Rank | Airport | City / location | Country | IATA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Heathrow Airport | London | United Kingdom | LHR |
| 7 | Istanbul Airport | Istanbul | Turkey | IST |
| 14 | Charles de Gaulle Airport | Roissy-en-France, Paris | France | CDG |
| 17 | Amsterdam Airport Schiphol | Haarlemmermeer | Netherlands | AMS |
| 18 | Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport | Madrid | Spain | MAD |
| 21 | Frankfurt Airport | Frankfurt | Germany | FRA |
| 28 | Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport | Barcelona | Spain | BCN |
| 40 | Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport | Rome | Italy | FCO |
London Heathrow: the one dated item
Heathrow (rank 5) is the busiest airport in Europe, and the largest airport in the UK, and it is the one airport in this region with a dated airport-specific item found in research. UK Health Security Agency airport notices were observed at Heathrow during the Ebola surveillance in September 2026. That evidence is social-media evidence, and it is labelled as such here: it is a report that notices were present, not a verified official notice, and it must be re-checked at the UK Health Security Agency and gov.uk before travel. The UK also publishes measles-on-a-flight guidance on gov.uk — guidance for passengers who may have been exposed to measles on a flight. Measles is resurging worldwide, and the measles guide on this site carries the current picture. Neither item is a standing measure: both are event-driven, and both may have lapsed.
The other seven airports
For Istanbul (rank 7), Paris Charles de Gaulle (rank 14), Amsterdam Schiphol (rank 17), Madrid–Barajas (rank 18), Frankfurt (rank 21), Barcelona–El Prat (rank 28) and Rome Fiumicino (rank 40), no airport-specific health item was found in the research behind this area. The country-level route exists for all seven — the CDC destination page and the IATA Travel Centre for the country, and the destination country’s own health authority — and that is the route this page recommends. The framework that applies is the same everywhere in this area: all seven countries are States Parties to the International Health Regulations, and their designated airports must hold the Annex 1 core capacities described in the IHR guide on this site. The absence of a found item is stated plainly because it is not a finding: no airport-operator health page was opened for all 50 airports, and the absence of a found item must never be presented as “no measures at this airport”.
Frequently asked questions
Which European airports are in the top 50?
8 in 2024: Madrid–Barajas and Barcelona–El Prat in Spain, London Heathrow in the UK, Paris Charles de Gaulle in France, Amsterdam Schiphol in the Netherlands, Frankfurt in Germany, Rome Fiumicino in Italy, and Istanbul Airport in Turkey.
Is Istanbul Airport in Europe or Asia?
Istanbul sits on both continents. This page groups it with Europe, following the region structure in the research behind this area. The grouping is a presentation choice, not a claim about the airport.
Why is there no health rating for these airports?
No public per-airport health or IHR compliance rating exists. WHO does not publish a per-airport scorecard, and CAPSCA assistance-visit reports are confidential to the State.