El análisis del tráfico de pasajeros publicado por Aena indica que el 2011 no ha sido un buen año para el aeropuerto de Madrid-Barajas.
Pasó de transportar a 49.866.113 pasajeros en el 2.010 a 49.662.512 en 2.011, un 0,4% menos. Esto le hace perder su cuarto puesto de entre los aeropuertos europeos y le relega a la 5ª posición, detrás del aeropuerto de Ámsterdam-Schiphol, que ganó un 10% y alcanzó los 49,7 millones de pasajeros.
El aeropuerto de Barcelona-el Prat, sin embargo, ganó un 17,5%, pasando de 29.209.536 pasajeros en el 2.010 a 34.399.180 pasajeros en el 2.011. Ocupa por tanto la novena posición en la lista de los 10 aeropuertos europeos con más tráfico.
Cuando nos referimos a los aeropuertos europeos en el top continúa Londres-Heathrow, con un aumento del 5,4% y 69,4 millones de pasajeros, París-Charles de Gaulle, con 60,9 millones y una ganancia del 4,8% respecto al año anterior, y Frankfurt, con sus 56,4 millones y un nada despreciable aumento del 6,5%.
La siguiente lista muestra los 50 aeropuertos principales de Europa en 2.011, ordenados por tráfico de pasajeros.
| Rank 2011 | País | Aeropuerto | Ciudad | Pasajeros 2010 | Pasajeros 2011 | Cambio 2010/2011 |
| 1 | United Kingdom | London Heathrow Airport | London | 65,881,660 | 69,390,628 | +05.3% |
| 2 | France | Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport | Paris | 58,164,612 | 60,970,551 | +04.8% |
| 3 | Germany | Frankfurt Airport | Frankfurt | 53,009,221 | 56,436,255 | +06.5% |
| 4 | Netherlands | Amsterdam Airport Schiphol | Amsterdam | 45,211,749 | 49,755,252 | +10.0% |
| 5 | España | Aeropuerto de Barajas | Madrid | 49,866,113 | 49,662,512 | -0.4% |
| 6 | Germany | Munich Airport | Munich | 34,721,605 | 37,763,701 | +08.8% |
| 7 | Italy | Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport | Rome | 36,337,050 | 37,651,700 | +03.6% |
| 8 | Turkey | Atatürk In’tl Airport | Istanbul | 32,143,819 | 37,452,187 | +16.5% |
| 9 | España | Aeropuerto Barcelona El Prat | Barcelona | 29,209,536 | 34,399,180 | +17.8% |
| 10 | United Kingdom | Gatwick Airport | London | 31,375,290 | 33,645,285 | +07.2% |
| 11 | France | Paris-Orly Airport | Paris | 25,203,969 | 27,139,076 | +07.7% |
| 12 | Russia | Domodedovo In’tl Airport | Moscow | 22,253,529 | 25,701,610 | +15.5% |
| 13 | Turkey | Antalya Airport | Antalya | 22,013,027 | 25,113,635 | +14.1% |
| 14 | Switzerland | Zürich Airport | Zürich | 22,878,251] | 24,337,954 | +06.4% |
| 15 | España | Aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca | Palma de Mallorca | 21,117,417 | 22,726,459 | +07.6% |
| 16 | Denmark | Copenhagen Airport | Copenhagen | 21,501,750 | 22,725,517 | +05.7% |
| 17 | Russia | Sheremetyevo In’tl Airport | Moscow | 19,123,007 | 22,555,000 | +16.7% |
| 18 | Austria | Vienna In’tl Airport | Vienna | 19,691,206 | 21,106,292 | +07.2% |
| 19 | Norway | Oslo Airport, Gardermoen | Oslo | 19,091,036] | 21,103,199 | +10.5% |
| 20 | Germany | Düsseldorf In’tl Airport | Düsseldorf | 18,988,149 | 20,339,466 | +07.1% |
| 21 | Italy | Malpensa Airport | Milan | 18,947,808 | 19,303,131 | +1.9% |
| 22 | Sweden | Stockholm-Arlanda Airport | Stockholm | 16,962,416 | 19,069,065 | +12.4% |
| 23 | United Kingdom | Manchester Airport | Manchester | 17,759,173 | 18,806,098 | +05.9% |
| 24 | Belgium | Brussels Airport | Brussels | 17,181,000 | 18,786,034 | +09.4% |
| 25 | Ireland | Dublin Airport | Dublin | 18,431,064 | 18,741,095 | +01.7% |
| 26 | United Kingdom | London Stansted Airport | London | 18,573,592 | 18,047,594 | -02.8% |
| 27 | Germany | Berlin Tegel Airport | Berlin | 15,025,600 | 16,919,820 | +12.6% |
| 28 | Finland | Helsinki-Vantaa Airport | Helsinki | 12,883,399 | 14,865,871 | +15.5% |
| 29 | Portugal | Lisbon Portela Airport | Lisbon | 14,035,273 | 14,805,624 | +05.5% |
| 30 | Greece | Athens In’tl Airport | Athens | 15,303,127 | 14,446,963 | -05.6% |
| 31 | Germany | Hamburg Airport | Hamburg | 12,962,429 | 13,558,261 | +04.6% |
| 32 | Switzerland | Geneva Cointrin In’tl Airport | Geneva | 11,785,522 | 13,111,741 | +11.3% |
| 33 | España | Aeropuerto de Málaga | Málaga | 12,064,521 | 12,821,125 | +06.3% |
| 34 | Turkey | Sabiha Gökçen Airport | Istanbul | 11,189,678 | 12,749,230 | +13.9% |
| 35 | Czech Republic | Ruzyně Airport | Prague | 11,556,858 | 11,788,629 | +2.0% |
| 36 | España | Aeropuerto de Gran Canaria | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria |
9,486,035 | 10,538,811 | +11.1% |
| 37 | France | Nice Côte d’Azur Airport | Nice | 9,603,01 | 10,422,073 | +08.5% |
| 38 | España | Aeropuerto de Alicante | Alicante | 9,382,931 | 9,913,764 | +05.7% |
| 39 | Germany | Cologne Bonn Airport | Cologne / Bonn | 9,849,779 | 9,623,398 | -02.3% |
| 40 | Russia | Pulkovo Airport | Saint Petersburg | 8,391,281 | 9,610,767 | +13.8% |
| 41 | Germany | Stuttgart Airport | Stuttgart | 9,218,095 | 9,582,265 | +04.0% |
| 42 | United Kingdom | London Luton Airport | London | 8,738,712 | 9,510,137 | +08.8% |
| 43 | Russia | Vnukovo In’tl Airport | Moscow | 9,460,292 | S/D |
S/D |
| 44 | United Kingdom | Edinburgh Airport | Edinburgh | 8,596,715 | 9,384,072 | +09.2% |
| 45 | Poland | Frederic Chopin Airport | Warsaw | 8,712,384 | 9,337,000 | +07.2% |
| 46 | Italy | Linate Airport | Milan | 8,296,450 | 9,128,522 | +10.0% |
| 47 | Hungary | Budapest Liszt Ferenc In’tl Airport | Budapest | 8,190,089 | 8,920,653 | +08.9% |
| 48 | España | Aeropuerto de Tenerife Sur | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 7,358,986 | 8,656,480 | +17.6% |
| 49 | United Kingdom | Birmingham In’tl Airport | Birmingham | 8,572,398 | 8,608,828 | +00.4% |
| 50 | Italy | Venice Marco Polo Airport | Venice | 6,854,595 | 8,584,651 | +25.2% |