Spain’s aviation sector has delivered a record-breaking year, with passenger numbers reaching an all-time high as the country cements its role as one of Europe’s most important travel hubs.
Figures released by Aena, which operates Spain’s airport network, show that 384.8 million passengers passed through its airports in 2025, a 4.2 per cent increase on the previous year. Of that total, 321.6 million passengers travelled through airports in Spain itself, marking the highest figure in the operator’s history.
The growth reflects Spain’s continued appeal as both a leading tourism destination and an increasingly popular base for business travellers and remote workers.
Spain’s largest airports once again led the surge. Madrid-Barajas Airport handled 68.2 million passengers in 2025, up 3 per cent year on year, while Barcelona-El Prat Airport recorded even stronger growth of 4.4 per cent, welcoming 57.5 million travellers.
Holiday-focused airports posted some of the fastest growth rates. Málaga saw passenger numbers rise by 7.4 per cent, while Alicante recorded an 8.5 per cent increase, highlighting the strength of demand for Spain’s coastal destinations beyond the traditional summer peak.
Industry observers say the figures underline how Spain has adapted to post-pandemic travel patterns, benefiting from a mix of leisure tourism, international conferences and longer stays by remote workers attracted by the country’s climate and infrastructure.
With demand rising across domestic and European routes, airlines are already responding by deploying larger aircraft on popular services. However, slot coordinators have warned that airports including Palma, Valencia and Seville could face congestion during peak periods, increasing competition for seats.
Travellers are likely to see tighter availability and upward pressure on fares, even during shoulder seasons that were previously quieter. Corporate travel managers are being urged to book flights and group travel well in advance, particularly for conferences and events.
To cope with sustained growth, Aena is preparing a new investment programme focused on expanding terminal capacity and adding runway infrastructure at key airports. The operator is also gearing up for the introduction of the EU’s Entry/Exit System in April 2026, which will bring biometric self-service processes to border control. While the changes are expected to improve efficiency in the long term, Aena has cautioned that some disruption and queues are possible during the rollout phase.
Aena’s growth is not limited to its domestic network. Its Brazilian airports handled 45.7 million passengers in 2025, a 5.3 per cent increase, underscoring the growing importance of Latin America for Spanish airlines and multinational businesses seeking stronger links between Europe and the Americas.
Taken together, the figures point to a sector operating at full throttle. With record passenger numbers, continued investment and rising international demand, Spain’s airports are increasingly central to both European aviation and global travel flows.