Spain faces three-month sprint to process 1.2 million migrant-regularisation applications
AENA to impose peak-hour passenger caps at Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona-El Prat from 2027
Airlines press EU to relax EES biometric checks as queues swell at Spanish airports
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ETIAS launch pushed to late 2026, giving Spain-bound business travellers a paperwork reprieve
Officials have delayed the roll-out of ETIAS until the last quarter of 2026, meaning that business and leisure travellers heading to Spain this summer do not need the pre-travel authorisation. Companies should nonetheless prepare their systems for the new requirement, expected to become mandatory around April 2027.
Schengen frontier to shift: Sánchez set to mark dismantling of Gibraltar land border
A new EU–UK treaty will scrap Gibraltar’s land frontier next week, relocating passport controls to the territory’s airport and bringing it into the Schengen zone. The change promises smoother daily commutes for 15,000 cross-border workers but will introduce full EES biometric checks for air passengers.
Overtourism Hits 77 % of Spain’s Business Travellers, SAP Concur Survey Warns
A new SAP Concur study finds that 77 % of Spanish business travellers have had itineraries disrupted by overtourism, driving up costs and fuelling employee reluctance to travel. Companies are responding with earlier bookings, alternative destinations and new technology, but compliance and risk-management challenges are growing. The findings highlight how Spain’s thriving visitor economy is starting to impede corporate mobility.
AENA to Cap Peak-Hour Passenger Flows at Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona-El Prat from 2027
AENA will introduce terminal-specific capacity caps at Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona-El Prat from summer 2027 to spread demand more evenly through the day. Airlines looking to grow at peak times will need to shift schedules or use alternative terminals, while existing slot rights remain protected. The measure aims to safeguard service quality until multibillion-euro terminal expansions are completed.
ENAIRE Launches 70-Point “Summer 26” Plan and Hires 79 New Controllers
State-owned ENAIRE will deploy 70 operational and technical measures and add 79 air-traffic controllers to cope with record flight volumes in summer 2026. Unions welcome the reinforcements but say deeper staffing increases are required. The plan promises more efficient routings and better weather coordination, but labour tensions remain a watchpoint for corporate flyers.
Ryanair Flags Four Spanish Airports as Europe’s Worst for Passport Queues
Ryanair says Tenerife Sur, Palma, Alicante and Málaga airports are ill-equipped to handle the EU’s new Entry/Exit System, warning of severe passport-control bottlenecks during the summer rush. The public rebuke puts pressure on Spanish airport operators to add kiosks and staff before non-Schengen visitor numbers peak.
Driver Shortage Forces Spanish Hauliers to Step Up International Recruitment
With an ageing driver cohort and little domestic interest in trucking careers, Spanish haulage companies are recruiting abroad at scale. Agencies now manage end-to-end immigration paperwork, allowing foreign drivers to fill vacancies within weeks, but the practice raises cost, safety and labour-relations questions.