The awards were announced during the gala dinner of the 36th ACI EUROPE Annual Congress and General Assembly in Prague, recognising airports that have delivered standout results in operational efficiency, passenger experience and environmental, social and governance performance.

Widely regarded as one of the most prestigious honours in the European airport sector, the ACI EUROPE Best Airport Awards highlight not only scale and traffic growth, but also how effectively airports are innovating, managing change and improving the customer journey.

Rome Fiumicino extends dominance among Europe’s largest airports

In the over 40 million passengers category, Rome Fiumicino Airport continued its remarkable run of success, once again taking top honours as Europe’s best large hub airport.

The judges praised the airport’s relentless focus on innovation and its increasingly predictive, AI-driven operational model, alongside a deep and consistent commitment to passenger experience. Rome Fiumicino was described as an airport that continues to push boundaries while keeping travellers at the centre of its strategy, helping it maintain a clear leadership position among Europe’s mega-hubs.

iGA Istanbul Airport was highly commended in the same category.

Vienna wins in the 25 to 40 million passenger category

Vienna International Airport secured the award in the 25 to 40 million passengers category after impressing judges with its ability to turn infrastructure constraints into a catalyst for innovation.

The airport was recognised for strong passenger satisfaction and punctuality, supported by advanced data-led tools including AI-powered gate allocation and real-time operational dashboards. The judges highlighted Vienna’s balance of scale, efficiency and innovation, positioning it as one of the most operationally sophisticated airports in Europe.

Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport was highly commended in the category.

Venice Marco Polo rewarded for using the Olympics as a catalyst for change

Venice Marco Polo Airport won the 10 to 25 million passengers category, with judges singling out the airport’s use of the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games as a trigger for long-term improvement rather than a short-term operational challenge.

According to the jury, Venice not only delivered a strong airport experience during the Games period, but used the event to embed lasting changes in service quality, operational performance and ESG practices. That legacy-driven approach helped distinguish it from its peers and reinforced the airport’s reputation as one of Italy’s most strategically ambitious gateways.

London Luton Airport was highly commended in this category.

Riga and Wrocław among the standout medium and smaller airport winners

Riga International Airport was named best airport in the 5 to 10 million passengers category after judges praised its investment in technology, management systems and long-term strategic execution. The airport was described as dynamic and forward-looking, with results that allow it to compete well above its weight against significantly larger peers.

In the under 5 million passengers category, Wrocław Airport claimed victory after a year in which it handled record passenger volumes while simultaneously managing major construction works and supporting a large international event. Judges highlighted its operational innovation, including advanced baggage handling, robotic loading, autonomous vehicles and digital control tools, as well as a distinctive environmental programme that included a bee and honey apiary project.

Torino Airport and Rovaniemi Airport were highly commended in the Riga and Wrocław categories respectively.

Helsinki, Stuttgart and Sofia take specialist awards

Alongside the main airport categories, ACI EUROPE also handed out a series of specialist awards recognising excellence in digital transformation, sustainability and human resources.

Helsinki Airport won the Digital Transformation Award for what judges described as a highly mature, situationally aware and operationally embedded digital platform that has already been scaled across 20 airports. The system was praised for delivering efficiency gains, stronger resilience and better coordination at network level. London Heathrow Airport was highly commended in the same category.

Stuttgart Airport received the Eco-Innovation Award for its holistic environmental strategy and its progress toward carbon-neutral apron operations. Judges were particularly impressed by the airport’s world-first hardware deployment and a project that achieved a 97.6% reduction in apron fleet CO2 emissions. iGA Istanbul Airport was highly commended in this category as well.

Vasil Levski Sofia Airport took the HR Excellence Award after impressing the panel with its use of AI in workforce development and employee experience. Its submission was praised for using strong analytical frameworks to identify bottlenecks, improve HR processes and combine innovation with a clear human focus. Milan Bergamo Airport was highly commended.

Industry recognition for a long-time aviation contributor

The World Business Partner Recognition award went to Dr. Holger Schulz of airsight GmbH, in recognition of his long-standing contribution to the aviation sector and his work across ACI EUROPE, ACI World and ICAO.

ACI EUROPE said Dr. Schulz has demonstrated exceptional leadership and vision over a 25-year career in aviation, with a particularly meaningful contribution through the ACI EUROPE Technical, Operations and Safety Committee.

The awards reflect how airport excellence is being redefined

What stands out in the 2026 awards is how broadly airport excellence is now being measured. Passenger growth and service quality still matter, but they are no longer enough on their own. This year’s winners were recognised because they combined operational performance with technology, environmental progress, resilience, inclusivity and long-term strategic thinking.

That shift is significant for Europe’s airport sector. It reflects an industry that is being judged not just on how many passengers it handles, but on how intelligently it runs, how responsibly it grows and how effectively it adapts to changing demands from airlines, regulators, employees and travellers.

From Rome’s AI-driven operations to Venice’s Olympic legacy planning, Stuttgart’s emissions progress and Helsinki’s digital platform, the 2026 ACI EUROPE Best Airport Awards suggest that the continent’s most successful airports are increasingly those that treat innovation, ESG and passenger experience as part of the same operating model rather than separate priorities.