Travellers hoping for a smooth Epiphany getaway were hit by a perfect storm on 6 January when Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona-El Prat, Málaga-Costa del Sol, Valencia and Bilbao recorded 56 flight cancellations and 886 delays. Real-time FlightAware data showed Madrid suffering the most delays (315), while Barcelona led the cancellation count (21). KLM scrapped 23 rotations, followed by Vueling (16) and Iberia (5); Ryanair clocked nearly 200 late departures([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-06/es/mass-flight-disruptions-hit-five-major-spanish-airports-on-epiphany-eve/)).
Ground-handling bottlenecks, winter-weather diversions over northern Europe and teething problems with the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES) were blamed for cascading disruption. Security queues stretched to 90 minutes at Madrid and Barcelona as staff scrambled to re-slot aircraft and re-accommodate missed connections([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-06/es/mass-flight-disruptions-hit-five-major-spanish-airports-on-epiphany-eve/)).
![Winter Chaos: 56 Cancellations and 886 Delays Hammer Spain’s Major Airports]()
For travellers needing to double-check paperwork amid this turbulence, VisaHQ offers a one-stop solution for Spanish entry requirements—letting you complete visa applications, renew passports and monitor status online so you’re prepared if last-minute rebooking sends you through a different border checkpoint. Explore the service at https://www.visahq.com/spain/.
For corporate mobility managers the lesson is stark: build extra slack into schedules during Spain’s January “Operación Retorno” peak, equip travellers with real-time flight-tracking apps and ensure boarding passes remain accessible for the biometric EES kiosks now live at Spanish hubs. Flexible hotel budgets and proactive re-routing policies can mitigate knock-on costs when short-haul networks unravel.
Ground-handling bottlenecks, winter-weather diversions over northern Europe and teething problems with the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES) were blamed for cascading disruption. Security queues stretched to 90 minutes at Madrid and Barcelona as staff scrambled to re-slot aircraft and re-accommodate missed connections([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-06/es/mass-flight-disruptions-hit-five-major-spanish-airports-on-epiphany-eve/)).
For travellers needing to double-check paperwork amid this turbulence, VisaHQ offers a one-stop solution for Spanish entry requirements—letting you complete visa applications, renew passports and monitor status online so you’re prepared if last-minute rebooking sends you through a different border checkpoint. Explore the service at https://www.visahq.com/spain/.
For corporate mobility managers the lesson is stark: build extra slack into schedules during Spain’s January “Operación Retorno” peak, equip travellers with real-time flight-tracking apps and ensure boarding passes remain accessible for the biometric EES kiosks now live at Spanish hubs. Flexible hotel budgets and proactive re-routing policies can mitigate knock-on costs when short-haul networks unravel.
