Airlines operating at Spain’s 46 Aena-managed airports have filed schedules for 137.6 million seats and 788 400 commercial movements for the winter season that runs from 26 October 2025 to 28 March 2026—an increase of 3.5 % in capacity and 3.3 % in flights versus last year.
Madrid-Barajas leads with 33.9 million seats (+4.6 %), followed by Barcelona-El Prat with 25.7 million (+4.7 %). Long-haul growth is driven by Asia-Pacific (+33 %), Middle East (+29 %) and Latin America (+11 %), reflecting carriers’ post-pandemic pivot toward premium leisure and diaspora markets. Winter also brings 25 brand-new routes, including Vueling’s twice-weekly Málaga–Doha and Air China’s Beijing Daxing-Barcelona.
For mobility managers, the bigger schedule means more inventory at historically tight Christmas peaks, but also a fresh layer of complexity. Slot usage rules revert to the EU’s normal 80/20 this winter, so airlines may cancel lightly booked rotations at short notice to protect next year’s slots. Contingency re-booking policies and self-service tools will be critical.
Aena is rolling out automated border gates calibrated for the upcoming EES biometric capture, starting with Málaga and Alicante in November. Companies should brief travellers on extra document checks, especially dual nationals using non-EU passports.
Madrid-Barajas leads with 33.9 million seats (+4.6 %), followed by Barcelona-El Prat with 25.7 million (+4.7 %). Long-haul growth is driven by Asia-Pacific (+33 %), Middle East (+29 %) and Latin America (+11 %), reflecting carriers’ post-pandemic pivot toward premium leisure and diaspora markets. Winter also brings 25 brand-new routes, including Vueling’s twice-weekly Málaga–Doha and Air China’s Beijing Daxing-Barcelona.
For mobility managers, the bigger schedule means more inventory at historically tight Christmas peaks, but also a fresh layer of complexity. Slot usage rules revert to the EU’s normal 80/20 this winter, so airlines may cancel lightly booked rotations at short notice to protect next year’s slots. Contingency re-booking policies and self-service tools will be critical.
Aena is rolling out automated border gates calibrated for the upcoming EES biometric capture, starting with Málaga and Alicante in November. Companies should brief travellers on extra document checks, especially dual nationals using non-EU passports.
