Top 10 Biggest & Busiest Airports In Europe [With Pictures]

With air travel demand on the rise, airports get busier by the day. To accommodate all passengers and ensure a smooth experience, airports continue to evolve and develop in terms of architecture, technology, and the services provided.

In this article, we’ll explore Europe’s biggest airports based on their size and the busiest airports based on the number of passengers they serve annually.

Topics

Biggest Airports by Square Feet

Let’s look at the top five largest airports in Europe in terms of square feet.

1. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, France

Terminal 1 at Charles de Gaulle International Airport

The Charles de Gaulle Airport is situated around 25 kilometres west of Paris and is the primary airport serving the city. With a total area of 32.37 square kilometres, it’s the biggest airport in Europe. CDG, known as Roissy Airport, is also one of the busiest hubs in Europe with an annual passenger flow of over 70 million.

Because of its popularity, Charles de Gaulles is usually constantly crowded, with over 92,000 people travelling to/from the airport daily.

How to Get There

The RER B railway line connects Paris with the Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. Passengers can take the RER B from Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame, Denfert-Rochereau, Gare du Nord, and Chatelet-Les-Halles, and get into the Charles de Gaulle Airport to reach terminals 1 and 3. The price is around $8 and the trip takes thirty to sixty minutes.

Car Rentals

For travellers looking to go about Paris and the rest of the Île-de-France area with greater freedom, renting a vehicle at CDG is, without question, the finest option.

The following vehicle rental agencies operate at Charles de Gaulle Airport:

Avis
Alamo
Budget
Thrifty
TT Car Transit
Enterprise
Europcar
National
Hertz
Sixt

Taxi

Given that the distance to the centre of Paris is just 25 kilometres, passengers should be able to reach their destination between 35 minutes to an hour, depending on the traffic conditions. The price ranges from $50 to $60. To ensure their safety, travellers should only use taxis from officially recognised and licensed companies, such as:

Paris Taxis
Suburban Taxis

Airlines

Airbus airplane at Charles de Gaulle International Airport

The following airlines are operating at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport:

Aegean Airlines, Air Cairo, Air India, Air Algerie, Air Serbia, Air Baltic
Air Montenegro, Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air Malta, Air Transat
Aerolineas Argentinas, Air China, Air Arabia Maroc, Alaska Airlines
AeroMexico, Air Europa, Air Senegal, Air France, Bulgaria Air
British Airways, American Airlines, Air Austral, Air Mauritius
China Airlines, All Nippon Airways – ANA, Air Tahiti Nui
China Eastern Airlines, American Airlines, Asiana Airlines
China Southern Airlines, ASL Airlines France, Czech Airline
Cambodia Angkor Air, Brussels Airlines, Azores Airlines
Cathay Pacific, Austrian Airlines, Croatia Airlines
Delta Air Lines, El Al Israel Airlines, Eurowings
Easyjet, Ethiopian Airlines, flynas, Finnair, Flyr
Fly One, Egyptair, Etihad Airways, Gol
Georgian Airways, Emirates, EVA Air
Garuda Indonesia, Iran Air, IndiGo
Icelandair, Gulf Air, ITA Airways, Jet2.com
JAL – Japan Airlines, Iberia, Korean Air
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, JetBlue Airways
Kenya Airways, LATAM Airlines, Luxair
Kuwait Airways, LOT Polish Airlines
Lufthansa, Norwegian Air International
Malaysia Airlines, Norwegian, Qatar Airways
Middle East Airlines, Royal Air Maroc
Nouvelair, Qantas, Royal Jordanian
Oman Air, SAS Scandinavian Airlines
Play Airlines, Saudia, Sky Express
Singapore Airlines, SmartWings, SWISS
SriLankan Airlines, Tassili Airlines, Tarom
SunExpress, TAP Air Portugal, Vistara
Thai Airways International, United Airlines
Turkish Airlines, Virgin Australia, Volotea
Ukraine International Airlines, Virgin Atlantic
Vietnam Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, Vueling

Airport Services

Passengers can find the following services and amenities at the airport:

Multimedia and children’s play area
ATMs and currency exchange
Wheelchair renting service
Reading and music lounge
Unlimited and free WI-FI
Restaurants and food
Airport information
Tourist information
Shops and stores
Baby care rooms
Luggage storage
Smoking area
Medical center
Baby strollers
Games area
Prayer room
Lost & found
Photo booth
Tax Refund
Pharmacy
Mailbox
Rest area
Video lounge
Meeting point
Charging station
Disabled access
Video game corner
Light therapy corner
Baggage wrapping
Luggage trolleys
Baggage scale
Digital Corner
Workstation

Hotels

The most convenient airport hotel for travellers is YOTELAIR Paris Charles de Gaulle, located at Terminal 2. Travellers can book a room or a cabin for a single hour or the entire night, starting at €65 (£55.8) for a 4-hour stay, €20 (£17.2) for thirty minutes, or €30 (£25.8) for forty-five minutes.

Four other hotels located right above the two RER stations at the airport are:

Sheraton
CitizenM
Novotel
Ibis

Terminals

The following three Terminals are located at the airport:

Terminal 1

Terminal 1 has been around the longest and comprises four levels. Its design is reminiscent of an octopus, and its main structure consists of a circle-shaped building where check-in desks and the baggage claim section are located.

Terminal 2

Terminals T2A, T2B, T2C, and T2E are arranged in a half-circle with their front doors facing one another, while terminal T2G is housed in a different building. Moreover, the CDG Terminal 2 compound comprises seven sub-terminals labeled 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, E, and G.

Terminal 3

Passengers will find CDG Terminal 3 farthest away from the main airport building. It’s the smallest terminal where the arrivals and departures are physically isolated from one another.

Arrivals Level

On this level, passengers will find the areas for baggage claim, passport check, and entry into the Arrivals Hall.

Departures Level

Check-in counters, security, various amenities, and the boarding area are located at this level. Passengers will find ground transportation options just outside the Departures Hall (bus, train, or taxi).

Lounges

In the departure zones of Terminals 1 and 2, several airlines have exclusive lounges for customers travelling in premium classes and qualifying lounge membership owners. For example, passengers travelling with Air France can book their Lounge Option online one day before their flight and gain access to their lounges.

On Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, passengers can find the following lounges:

Terminal 1

Qatar Airways Premium Lounge
Lufthansa Business Lounge
Lufthansa Senator Lounge
Star Alliance Lounge
Salon Galaxy
Salon ICARE
SAS Lounge

Terminal 2

King David Lounge
Paul Maxence Lounge
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge
Etihad Airways First & Business Class Lounge
Cathay Pacific First and Business Class Lounge
Air France La Première Lounge (Concourse K)
YotelAir Paris de Charles de Gaulle
Air France Lounge (Concourse M)
American Airlines Admirals Club
Air France The Arrivals Lounge
The Emirates Lounge
Air France Lounge
Salon Paris

Food

MIYOU, Brioche Dorée, Mc Donald’s, Eric Kayser, Starbucks Coffee, YO! Sushi, THE FRENCH TASTE by Guy Martin, Café Eiffel, and Naked are part of the many restaurants and bars available at the airport.

Private Jet Terminal

This airport serves both the private and commercial sectors of the aviation industry. Within the airport grounds, private charter providers are located on separate premises.

The following FBOs operate at the airport:

JETEX
G-OPS

2. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, the Netherlands

Travelers in front of the entrance to the central hall of Schiphol airport

Because of its proximity to Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport serves as the biggest hub for air traffic in the Netherlands, and with 27.87 km², it’s the second-biggest airport in Europe. Regarding international passenger flow, Schiphol Airport is also consistently ranked among the top airports in the world. According to the statistics provided by Airports Council Foreign, in 2021, it was the third-busiest airport in the world.