Air quality around airports. ETC HE Report 2025/7.

Monitoring air quality around airports and nearby cities is crucial to understanding the role of emissions from air traffic and other airport activities. This report analyses air quality in 23 European airports, revealing limited observations in and around airport areas. Only three of the 23 airports had at least one air quality sampling point for NO₂, PM_2.5 and O₃ inside the airport area. Concentrations in nearby cities can be up to double (NO₂), 57% higher (PM_2.5) and 85% higher (O₃) when the wind comes from the airport. EEA air quality maps showed higher annual mean NO₂ concentrations in airport areas compared to surrounding regions, with one airport above the 2030 limit value of 20 µg/m³. Annual mean PM_2.5 concentrations were also higher in airport areas, with six airports exceeding the revised limit value. The limited number of sampling points makes it challenging to assess trends in NO₂, PM_2.5 and O₃ concentrations. A final chapter of the report presents an overview of available measurements and studies of ultra fine particles (UFP) in the vicinity of airports.