ENAIRE managed over 158,000 flights in March, 17% more than in 2022

• The number of flights managed in March already exceeds the record from 2019

• Overflights grew by 23.2%, international flights by 15.3% and domestic flights by 14.8%

• The growth of air traffic in Spain exceeds the European average by two percentage points

• All ENAIRE control centres saw a double-digit increase in the number of flights managed

• Every day of Holy Week, the traffic managed was higher than in 2022, 4.7% in the equivalent period

ENAIRE, Spain’s air navigation manager, managed over 158,000 flights (158,412) in March, 17.0% more than in the same month in 2022. Of those, 84,294 were international (+15.3%), 35,957 were domestic (+14.8%), and 38,161 were overflights (which do not land at or depart from a Spanish airport)(+23.2%).

The growth of air traffic in Spain in March exceeded the European average, which was 15.0%, by two percentage points

All ENAIRE control centres registered a double-digit increase in the number of flights managed: Barcelona registered 66,310 flights (20.2%); Seville, 37,988 (18.7%); Madrid, 93,116 (14.5%); Canary Islands, 33,525 (12.5%) and Palma, 16,671 (11.2%).

A comparison of March 2023 with the same month in 2019, a record year for flights managed by ENAIRE before the pandemic, shows a 1.1% increase.

Air traffic comparison March 2023-2022

TOTAL % International % Domestic % Overflights %



ENAIRE network  158,412 17.0% 84,294 15.3% 35,957 14.8% 38,161 23.2%

Madrid CC 93,116 14.5% 48,490 13.0% 15,937 16.1% 28,689 16.2%

Barcelona CC 66,310 20.2% 41,294 18.6% 14,577 12.9% 10,439 39.9%

Canary Islands CC 33,525 12.5% 17,021 9.4% 13,215 13.8% 3,289 25.1%

Seville CC 37,988 18.7% 16,817 15.4% 10,947 19.5% 10,224 23.7%

Palma CC 16,671 11.2% 8,266 7.9% 8,381 14.7% 24 -11.1%

Note. The total number of flights operated by ENAIRE’s network does not necessarily match the total number of flights managed by each Control Centre (CC). This is due to the fact that a flight is registered according to the airspace and route it crosses.

For example: a flight departing from Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport bound for Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat will be registered at the Control Centres in Madrid and Barcelona.

More traffic in Holy Week than in 2022

As for Holy Week, the traffic managed by ENAIRE was higher every day than that recorded in 2022. From 31 March to 9 April 2023, 60,425 flights were managed, 4.7% more than in the equivalent period last year (from 8 April to 17 April) with 57,673.

Cumulative data for 2023

In the first three months of the year, ENAIRE managed over 432,000 flights (432,829), 25.5% more than in the same period in 2022.

International flights from January to March (228,021) increased by 21.5%, domestic (98,731) by 17.6% and overflights (106,077) by 45.2%.

By control centre, the cumulative figures for Seville stand out, with 102,971 flights managed, a 34.0% increase; Barcelona, with 177,218, 28.5% more, and Madrid, with 259,228, 23.7% more.

A comparison between the first three months of 2023 and the same period in 2019 shows a drop of 0.6%.

Cumulative traffic comparison 2023-2022

TOTAL % International % Domestic % Overflights %


ENAIRE network 432,829 25.5% 228,021 21.5% 98,731 17.6% 106,077 45.2%

Madrid CC 259,228 23.7% 136,027 19.7% 44,774 20.1% 78,427 34.0%

Barcelona CC 177,218 28.5% 107,642 24.2% 39,518 16.7% 30,058 73.6%

Canary Islands CC 95,705 18.2% 49,402 16.0% 36,587 17.3% 9,716 35.1%

Seville CC 102,971 34.0% 44,722 22.5% 29,511 20.4% 28,738 81.3%

Palma CC 40,477 14.5% 17,717 8.1% 22,696 20.1% 64 -12.3%

ENAIRE drives the aviation sector

To prop up the aviation sector, ENAIRE’s en route rates for 2023 remain well below the rates prior to the pandemic (2019), 11% lower in mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands and 8% lower in the Canary Islands.

Moreover, compared to the average fees of Europe’s four largest air navigation service providers, ENAIRE’s rates are 28% cheaper in mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands and 40% cheaper in the Canary Islands.

World leader in safety

ENAIRE’s priority whenmanaging these flights is safety. Safety, efficiency and sustainability characterise ENAIRE’s management.

ENAIRE and CRIDA, its research, development and innovation subsidiary, received the 2021 CANSO Global Air Safety Award at the 2022 World ATM Congress.

This award acknowledges the work done by ENAIRE and CRIDA to develop a tool to automatically monitor for loss of separation between aircraft (Automatic Safety Monitoring Tool – ASMT).

ENAIRE- also photos