The month of April was historic for both Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport and Valencia Airport. Both airports achieved record figures in terms of passenger numbers and flight operations.
Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport achieved a historic feat in April by receiving 1,590,828 passengers. This is the highest monthly passenger number ever for April. It represents an increase of 10.8% compared to the same month in 2023. This makes April the fourth consecutive record month for the airport this year, according to a statement from Aena.
Brits biggest group of foreign tourists in Alicante
Of the passengers, 1,365,202 were international travellers, an increase of 10.1%. The number of domestic travellers increased by 15.8% to more than 223,000. Most international passengers came from the UK (552,320), followed by the Netherlands (102,913), Belgium (81,690), Germany (81,538) and Norway (71,056).
Increase in flight operations
The airport also handled 10,100 flights in April, representing an increase of 9.2% compared to April 2023. In the first four months of 2024, Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández handled 4,819,105 passengers, an increase of 18, 5% compared to the same period in 2023. The number of flight operations during this period amounted to 30,829, which is an increase of 15.2% compared to the previous year.
Valencia Airport follows the same path
Valencia Airport also had a record month in April with 945,513 passengers, an increase of 9.5% compared to April 2023. In the first four months of 2024, the airport handled 3,073,572 passengers, an increase of 13.3% compared to with the same period in 2023.
Italians biggest group of foreign tourists in Valencia
Of the passengers counted at Valencia Airport in April, 943,403 were commercial travellers. Of these, 688,211 travelled on international flights, an increase of 12.9%, while 255,192 travelled on domestic flights, an increase of 1.3%. Most international passengers came from Italy (139,960), followed by Germany (83,054), the Netherlands (74,311), France (73,270), the UK (72,481) and Switzerland (40,699).
Increase in flight operations
Valencia airport handled a total of 7,549 flights in April, an increase of 8.4% compared to the same month in 2023. From January to April, the airport handled 25,184 flights, an increase of 7.6% compared to same period in 2023.
Airport expansion planned
The impressive growth of both Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández and Valencia airports confirms the aviation authority AENA in its plans to expand both airports. These expansions are necessary to accommodate the expected crowds during the summer months. AENA also wants to prevent a possible collapse of Valencia airport.