More than 74 million passengers travelled through the VINCI Airports network in the first quarter of 2026, marking a 1.5% increase compared with the same period in 2025. This performance underscores the resilience and geographical diversity of the network amid a backdrop of geopolitical disruption. While the conflict in the Middle East and tensions between China and Japan have had localised impacts on certain airports, the overall effect on the network’s global dynamics has remained limited, reinforcing its robustness.
In Latin America, network airports once again delivered strong performance. In Brazil, Salvador Bahia Airport recorded double-digit traffic growth (+12%), driven by expanded services from GOL, Azul and LATAM, alongside sustained demand for long-haul routes operated by TAP. In Mexico, growth continued at a solid pace in Monterrey, primarily supported by domestic traffic. In the Dominican Republic, passenger numbers increased across the network, with Arajet driving notable growth at Santo Domingo. Costa Rica further strengthened its international appeal. The main exception was Santiago Airport in Chile, where traffic declined due to fleet allocation challenges affecting SKY Airlines.
In Cabo Verde, airports within the VINCI Airports network posted particularly strong growth, with traffic rising by 17%. This was supported by the diversification of air connectivity, including new routes operated by partner airlines such as easyJet and Transavia, with additional winter-season services from France, the United Kingdom and Portugal.
In Europe, several airports maintained positive momentum. Belgrade Airport continued to perform strongly, supported by the expansion of routes to Western Europe. Edinburgh also recorded robust growth, driven by demand for Mediterranean destinations. Despite the suspension of flights to the Middle East, Budapest Airport sustained high passenger volumes, benefiting from expanded offerings by Ryanair and easyJet, as well as growing demand for destinations such as Italy, Spain and France.
In Portugal, Lisbon Airport benefited from increased long-haul services operated by TAP to Brazil and the United States. Porto Airport also delivered strong growth, supported by continued expansion of transatlantic routes and services to Spain, the United Kingdom and Italy.
Some airports faced more challenging conditions. At London Gatwick, the reorganisation of medium-haul operations and cancellations linked to the Middle East conflict moderated the otherwise strong performance of easyJet and British Airways during the quarter. In France, domestic traffic—adversely affected by higher taxation—continued to weigh on the performance of regional airports.
Finally, geopolitical tensions between China and Japan impacted overall performance at Japanese airports. However, the regional market remained dynamic, with traffic showing notable growth, particularly from South Korea.
