Copenhagen Airport breaks records in 2025

After a record-breaking 2025, Copenhagen Airport is expanding both terminal and rail capacity — lifting annual passenger capacity from 30 to 40 million and preparing new platforms and a walkway to meet future demand and become the Nordic Hub between Scandinavia-Nordic Countries and Europe and the rest of the world.

Copenhagen Airport is already the biggest hub in the Nordics.

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A record year

Summer 2025 proved to be the busiest high season in the airport’s history, with 9.7 million passengers passing through during the summer months. Momentum continued into autumn: both September and October set new monthly records, and October became the airport’s busiest October ever — the fifth consecutive month with more than three million travellers.

Preliminary figures suggest November will follow suit, meaning 2025 will stand as a landmark year for Copenhagen Airport.

The surge is driven by a strong return of leisure travel, particularly to destinations in southern Europe, combined with an increase in business trips. Copenhagen’s position as a Nordic transfer hub has also tightened: transfer passengers — many connecting from across the Nordics — rose by 21% in summer and 35% in September compared with the previous year.

London remains the busiest link: in October alone, 166,125 travellers flew between Copenhagen and London — an average of 5,359 passengers per day. Stockholm and Oslo follow in popularity, and new direct routes have contributed to a 10% rise in American overnight stays in Copenhagen.

Terminal 3 expansion: room for ten million more

Work is already underway to grow Terminal 3 and push annual capacity from 30 to 40 million passengers. The expansion adds over 60,000 m² of new floor space — more than eight football pitches — while another 11,000 m² of existing terminal will be refurbished.

Design highlights include a 270-metre glass façade facing the runways and a 25-metre-high daylight atrium that channels natural light all the way down to the baggage hall on the ground floor. The passenger hall will sit beneath a sweeping, wave-like ceiling inspired by passing clouds; at night, embedded lights will recreate a starry sky effect.

Additional retail, dining and seating areas are designed to improve comfort during peak periods. The project is led by Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects, and the new section of Terminal 3 is slated to open in 2028.

Station upgrade: new platforms, new connections

The airport’s rail facilities are being upgraded alongside the terminal. Two new platforms are being constructed on the former freight line north of the existing station. The outdoor platforms will handle trains travelling toward Copenhagen, while the current underground station will be dedicated to services bound for Sweden.

The expansion is part of longer-term planning for increased rail traffic when the Fehmarn Belt tunnel opens around 2030, a development expected to boost freight and passenger flows between Scandinavia and mainland Europe.

Work began in January and has reached several milestones: the main pedestrian bridge has been lifted into place, and crews are now installing stairs, elevators, seating, lighting and waiting rooms. A new walkway will connect passengers arriving from Sweden directly into Terminal 3.

The station project — led by the state-owned Sund & Bælt and built without direct financial support from Copenhagen Airport — has attracted criticism for its decision to leave the new platforms uncovered. Given Denmark’s changeable weather, some stakeholders questioned whether open-air platforms were the right approach.

Despite these debates, construction continues on schedule. The main works are expected to be complete by summer 2026, and the first trains could begin using the new tracks in spring.