Aéroports de Paris SA said passenger traffic in April 2026 eased compared with the same month a year earlier, a performance the operator attributed to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, changes to flight schedules and calendar timing effects.
Group volumes fell 4.9% year-on-year to 29.1 million passengers in April, the company reported. Within the group footprint, Paris Aéroport showed greater resilience, with traffic sliding 1.3% to 9.2 million passengers versus April 2025.
The operator said performance was affected by "adjustments to flight schedules as well as restrictions on access to certain airspace" in the context of geopolitical instability in the Middle East. It also cited "the unfavorable timing effect of certain religious holidays compared to April 2025" as an additional drag, and noted that some planned reductions in flight schedules were independent of the current crisis.
At the individual airport level, Paris-Charles de Gaulle recorded broadly stable traffic at 6.05 million passengers, while Paris-Orly saw a decline of 3.6% to 3.12 million in April. The group highlighted that routes to the Middle East were particularly affected, with traffic to that region falling sharply during the month.
Across Aéroports de Paris' wider portfolio, the company reported declines at several international assets: TAV Airports traffic decreased 5.3%, GMR Airports fell 5.0%, and other airports in the group experienced a steeper drop of 15.1%.
Despite the monthly setback, cumulative traffic for the January-to-April period remained slightly positive, with group volumes up 0.3% year-to-date.
Operational metrics also softened in April. Aircraft movements across the group were down 2.3% for the month, and the seat load factor fell by 1.1 percentage points to 85.4%, reflecting weaker capacity utilization.
The company said it is "closely following the evolution of the geopolitical situation" and warned that the impact on traffic remains uncertain in the short to medium term, including potential effects from higher fuel prices and continued airspace restrictions.
Market indicators displayed modest moves in related securities on the day: ADP -0.19%, GMRI -1.6% and TAVHL -2.13%.
Context and implications
The April results illustrate how external shocks - in this case geopolitical instability and the associated airspace management responses - can alter airline and airport operations quickly, influencing passenger flows, aircraft movements and load factors. Aéroports de Paris' April performance was compounded by calendar effects and pre-planned schedule reductions that were unrelated to the crisis.
While the monthly figures show a clear dip, the marginally positive year-to-date reading suggests traffic had been stronger earlier in the year, partially offsetting the April decline.