December is always a busy month in European aviation, with countless travelers taking to the skies to see friends and family over the festive season. For the most part, they do so on narrowbody or regional airliners that are perfect for airlines that need small but flexible aircraft that can operate several intra- Europe round trips in a day. However, sometimes widebodies are also used on such flights.
This is often catalyzed by higher demand levels on the passenger side of things, but larger cargo loadings and fifth-freedom itineraries can also play a key role in dictating whether or not a flight within Europe is operated by a widebody aircraft. Per Cirium, an aviation analytics company, 3,679 intra-Europe widebody flights are scheduled this December, but which airlines fly the most, and where do they go?
Turkish Airlines Is The Dominant Operator
With a grand total of 2,168 widebody flights scheduled on routes within Europe this summer, 
Turkish Airlines accounts for more than 58.9% of the total capacity on this front. These services are split between 922 with the Airbus A330-300, 436 with the A330-200, 392 with the Boeing 787-9, 216 with the A350-900, and 202 with the 777-300ER, all of which offer extra capacity out of its Istanbul (IST) hub.
The most common combination of aircraft and intra-Europe route at Turkish Airlines this December is Istanbul to Moscow Vnukovo (VKO) with the A330, which sees almost four flights a day on average. That aircraft type is also deployed twice daily to Amsterdam (AMS), while the 777-300ER has a similar frequency on the domestic route to Izmir (ADB). Commenting on the A330-300’s perks, Turkish Airlines says:
“The A330-300 excels with more eco-friendly green technologies, fuel efficiency with improved engines, and releases less CO2 emissions. A330 flights are extra comfortable with extended legroom seats, quiet cabins, and friendly cabin crew.”
Air Europa Is Another Big Hitter
Such is the dominance of Turkish Airlines when it comes to intra-European widebody operations that second-placed Air Europa only has an 8.32% share on this front in December 2025. The Spanish carrier has penciled in 306 twin-aisle flights on routes within Europe this month, with these services collectively offering grand totals of 95,590 seats and 82,456,280 ASMs. Its aircraft of choice are Boeing 787s.
According to present fleet data made available by ch-aviation, Air Europa currently has 29 aircraft from the Boeing 787 Dreamliner family at its disposal. These are split between 11 787-8s with an average age of 9.8 years old and 18 787-9s (plus five on order) at an average age of 5.9 years old. Per aeroLOPA, the Boeing 787-8s have 296 seats across two classes, compared to either 333 or 339 on the 787-9.
The carrier’s top intra-Europe widebody route this month is domestic, with the 787 being deployed twice a day between Madrid (MAD) and Barcelona (BCN). Elsewhere, Amsterdam and Istanbul will see daily Air Europa 787 flights from the Spanish capital, while Gran Canaria (LPA) and Tenerife (TFN) have lower frequencies. Meanwhile, Milan (MXP), Munich (MUC), and Zurich (ZRH) will see one-off rotations.
Business Class On Air Europa: Here’s What You Get
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Two More Carriers Have Three-Figure Totals
Elsewhere in Europe, there are two more airlines with more than 100 widebody flights scheduled on routes within the continent. One such carrier is Russia’s Southwind Airlines, whose 271 services that fall under this category are split between 227 with the 777-300 and 44 with the A330-200. Its top route on this front connects Moscow Sheremetyevo (SVO) with Antalya (AYT) in Turkey up to three times a day.
The fourth carrier with over 100 widebody flights planned within Europe this December is actually from Africa. The operator is Ethiopian Airlines, which uses A350s, 777s, and 787s on fifth-freedom flights within Europe. These originate in Addis Ababa (ADD) and stop in one European destination before continuing to another. The top route is Stockholm (ARN) to Oslo (OSL), which it serves daily with various jets.
