Madrid-Barajas airport concentrates the most operations with 972 flights on the program scheduled for Wednesday December 31, while Barcelona-El Prat is second with 741 scheduled flight movements. The information is part of the data provided by Aena to Europa Press, which says that the Christmas season will close the year with more than 100,000 scheduled flights at Spanish airports, a figure 7.8% higher than the same period last year.
According to the report published by Europa Press, the airports managed by Aena plan to operate a total of 101,793 flights between December 19 of the current year and January 7, 2026. This figure represents an increase compared to activity during the 2024 holiday season, which had a similar calendar in terms of holidays, although there were slight differences on key dates. This increase is linked to the recovery in demand and the forward planning of passengers wanting to take advantage of the holiday period.
On Wednesday December 31, which coincided with New Year’s Eve, the Spanish airport network had 3,515 flights scheduled, 57 fewer than on the same day last year. The cities of Málaga, Gran Canaria and Palma de Mallorca are, along with Madrid and Barcelona, the airports with the highest expected activity, with 369, 302 and 233 aircraft movements respectively. Aena, citing Europa Press, explained that the flight schedule could be changed depending on daily developments and operational factors affecting airlines.
As for other important days of the holidays, on Thursday January 1st, which corresponds to the New Year, Spanish airports have 4,901 scheduled flights, which is 452 more flights than on the same festive day last year. For Epiphany, celebrated on January 6, the number of flights is 4,595, just 24 fewer than during the holiday in 2024. According to data provided to Europa Press, these figures reflect different demand patterns around the most traditional celebrations in Spain.
The season’s figures cover the entire Aena airport network, including the main tourist destinations and the most popular domestic routes. The observed evolution of air mobility is attributed to an adapted offer by airlines and the management of operations in the event of weather conditions, unexpected peaks in demand or technical incidents that could affect the regularity of flights, as Europa Press explains.
The flow of passengers associated with this holiday season requires additional effort in coordinating airport services. Both security and baggage management and check-in processes are facing an increase in activity associated with the increase in the number of scheduled flight movements. Europa Press stated that although the program could vary over short periods of time, the aim of ensuring operations and mitigating possible delays or impacts on users would remain the same.
The difference in the number of operations compared to last year is moderate on the dates indicated, but reflects adjustments in capacity management and response to passenger traffic developments. According to Aena data published by Europa Press, Madrid Airport is reducing its activities by five operations as of December 31 compared to the previous year, while the remaining main airports show slight deviations up and down in their flight schedules.
The influence of national and regional holidays, together with the school calendar and advance reservation strategies, represents a factor that directly affects the planning of flight movements for this period. Europa Press reported that the Aena network, as operator of the majority of the country’s airport infrastructure, is adapting its operations to these scenarios in order to meet the registered demand and respond to any eventualities that arise when operating scheduled flights.
Monitoring the flight schedule during Christmas, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Eve and Epiphany becomes an indicator of the general development of the aviation sector in Spain. According to official data provided to Europa Press, the correlation between mobility registered at the main airports and overall operations in the country shows that Madrid and Barcelona continue to be at the top in passenger and route movements, followed by traditional tourist destinations such as Malaga, Gran Canaria and Palma de Mallorca.
Overall, the year-end season demonstrates both the ongoing consolidation of aviation activity and the flexibility of airlines and airport managers to adapt their programs to fluctuations in demand and unpredictable scenarios. Europa Press notes that all figures may be updated based on actual operations. Therefore, both operators and passengers must be alert to possible short-term changes in the network of domestic and international flights managed by Aena.
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