Copenhagen Airport passenger record figures show that Denmark’s main hub handled 32.4 million travellers in 2025, the highest number in its history, according to the airport’s latest traffic update published on 7 January 2026. The result came in a year marked by new routes, a sharp rise in transfer traffic, and a Danish debate over how to square aviation growth with climate targets.
Passenger numbers beat the pre-pandemic peak from 2018
Copenhagen Airport (CPH), also known as Kastrup, said the 2025 total surpassed its previous record from 2018 (30.3 million passengers). December was the busiest month on record, with 2.46 million travellers, about 13% more than in December 2024.
The airport attributed the yearly increase to sustained demand for travel and a larger route network. In absolute terms, it handled roughly 2.5 million more passengers than the year before.
More routes from Copenhagen, including new long-haul links
CPH reported 47 new routes launched during the year, bringing the total to 367 routes served by 62 airlines. The airport described the expansion as part of a broader strengthening of Denmark’s links to global markets and tourism flows.
Industry coverage of the traffic figures also highlighted growth on intercontinental services and new long-haul destinations added in 2025, alongside increased capacity on several routes.
Transfer passengers rise as SAS consolidates its Nordic hub
One of the clearest shifts in 2025 was the jump in transfer traffic, up 27% year-on-year. The airport said nearly one in four passengers at CPH were connecting onward.
CPH linked this trend primarily to SAS consolidating a larger share of its traffic in Copenhagen, reinforcing the airport’s role as a key Nordic gateway. The airport also pointed to rising numbers of transfer passengers coming from Sweden, Norway and Northern Europe, as well as travellers arriving from Asia and North America and using Copenhagen as an entry point to Europe.
A record year during the airport’s 100th anniversary
The record came in the airport’s centenary year: Copenhagen Airport opened in 1925 and marked its 100th anniversary in 2025. In its anniversary communications, the airport has paired its growth narrative with commitments on the green transition, reflecting the tension between expanding air connectivity and limiting emissions.
Denmark’s new air passenger tax adds a climate policy backdrop
The traffic milestone also sits alongside Denmark’s new air passenger tax, introduced from 1 January 2025 for flights departing the country. Under the scheme, the tax varies by distance and is paid by airlines, while certain types of transit and transfer travel can be exempt under the rules.
In 2025, published guidance lists rates of DKK 30 for flights within Europe (about €4), DKK 250 for medium-haul flights (about €34), and DKK 300 for long-haul flights (about €40). The measure is part of Denmark’s wider effort to finance the aviation sector’s green transition, at a time when passenger volumes in Copenhagen are moving above the airport’s last pre-pandemic peak.
What this means for Nordic connectivity and the Danish economy
For Denmark, CPH’s record underlines how the airport functions as both a national gateway and a Nordic transport hub, particularly for travellers who connect via Copenhagen rather than flying direct.
In practice, higher transfer volumes can help sustain direct long-haul routes that might not be viable on local demand alone. That is why the airport has framed transfer passengers as central to its ability to maintain and expand direct connections between the Nordics and destinations in North America and Asia.
As Denmark and other Nordic countries tighten climate policies around aviation, the next test will be whether traffic growth continues at the same pace, or whether higher costs and a stronger political focus on emissions begin to reshape demand and route planning.
