Else Beekman
May 2024 has brought another passenger record for Aena, with an increase of 11% compared to the same month in 2023. This marks the fifth consecutive month in which passenger numbers at Spanish airports have far exceeded last year’s figures.
Up to May 31, 114.7 million passengers have passed through Spanish airports, an unprecedented number.
Individual records
No fewer than 23 airports, including all the major ones, have broken their own records. Even smaller airports such as those in Melilla and Badajoz performed excellently. Only the airports along the Cantabrian coast, with the exception of Bilbao, did not reach average growth.
International and national growth
In May alone, 28.2 million people travelled through Spanish airports, of which 19.6 million were international passengers and the rest were national. The number of international travelers grew by 13%, while the number of national travellers increased by almost 7%, demonstrating Spain’s growing tourist popularity.
Increase in freight traffic
Freight traffic rose by almost 24% in May, with Madrid, Zaragoza, Barcelona and Cuatro Vientos as the main hubs. Although less important economically, this is still a remarkable increase.
Activities
In terms of operations, the airport with the most movements in May was also Madrid-Barajas, with 36,348 (+9%), followed by Barcelona-El Prat, with 31,593 flights (+10%); Palma de Mallorca, with 27,103 (+11.1%); Málaga, with 16,346 (+7.3%); Alicante, with 11,019 (+14.6%) and Gran Canaria, with 10,840 landings and take-offs (+10.5%).
Alicante in the lead
Alicante was the fastest growing airport in May, with an increase of more than 16% in all categories. Madrid-Barajas Airport remained the first in Spain in terms of passenger numbers, with 5,680,291, representing a growth of 12.4% compared to May last year. Madrid is followed by Barcelona-El Prat airports, with 4,992,580 (+11.5%); Palma de Mallorca, with 3,841,241 (+12.3%); Málaga, with 2,378,119 (+10.5%); Alicante, with 1,749,487 (+16.6%); Gran Canaria, with 1,094,567 (+9.6%) and Ibiza, with 1,030,938 (+6.2%).
Also read: Spanish airports received more than 60 million passengers in the first quarter of 2024