Spanish airport operator Aena started 2026 with 20.3 million passengers across its domestic network—up 2.6 percent year-on-year but well below the 6.1 percent jump recorded a year earlier, according to figures released on 15 February. Total group traffic, including Brazil and London-Luton, reached 25.8 million (+3.3 percent). Aircraft movements dipped 0.6 percent in Spain, underscoring a subtle shift from pandemic-era catch-up growth to more moderate expansion.
Madrid-Barajas retained the top spot with 5.38 million passengers (+3.5 percent), followed by Barcelona-El Prat (3.81 million, +3 percent) and Málaga (1.44 million, +5.1 percent). Tenerife South was the only major airport to post a decline (-1 percent) as technical woes at its biometric kiosks slowed throughput.
![Aena January Data Show Passenger Growth Cooling but Cargo Sets New Record]()
Cargo was the bright spot: volumes surged 7.1 percent nationally, with Barcelona up 16.5 percent and Zaragoza almost 20 percent. The figures suggest that while leisure demand may be plateauing, Spain’s export-oriented manufacturers and e-commerce firms continue to drive air-freight resilience.
For mobility planners the takeaway is nuanced. Slot availability at Madrid and Barcelona remains tight despite slower growth, meaning corporate travel bookers should still secure peak-hour flights early. Meanwhile, robust cargo numbers hint at continuing pressure on belly-hold capacity—important for firms shipping time-critical components alongside personnel.
Madrid-Barajas retained the top spot with 5.38 million passengers (+3.5 percent), followed by Barcelona-El Prat (3.81 million, +3 percent) and Málaga (1.44 million, +5.1 percent). Tenerife South was the only major airport to post a decline (-1 percent) as technical woes at its biometric kiosks slowed throughput.
Cargo was the bright spot: volumes surged 7.1 percent nationally, with Barcelona up 16.5 percent and Zaragoza almost 20 percent. The figures suggest that while leisure demand may be plateauing, Spain’s export-oriented manufacturers and e-commerce firms continue to drive air-freight resilience.
For mobility planners the takeaway is nuanced. Slot availability at Madrid and Barcelona remains tight despite slower growth, meaning corporate travel bookers should still secure peak-hour flights early. Meanwhile, robust cargo numbers hint at continuing pressure on belly-hold capacity—important for firms shipping time-critical components alongside personnel.
Source: Aviation24
