Over 191,000 flights

  • The recovery of air traffic in Spain exceeded the European average by seven percentage points
  • The flights managed in Seville rose by 4.3%
  • Seventh consecutive month of traffic growth in the Balearic Islands
  • International flights in the Canary Islands increased by 1.3%
  • Domestic air traffic controlled from Barcelona rose 4.1%
  • Compared to the number of flights in September 2021, the increase was 29.8% throughout Spain

The trend in air traffic puts the number of flights managed by ENAIRE throughout Spain at levels very close to those prior to the pandemic. ENAIRE managed over 191,000 flights (191,069) in September, which is just 6.1% below the average for the entire network for the same month in 2019, a record year for traffic before the effects of COVID took hold in 2020.

This figure means that ENAIRE, the national air navigation service provider, recovered 94% (93.9%) of flights in September compared to 2019 levels.

In September 2022, domestic traffic (37,918 flights) recovered 98.9% compared to the same month in 2019, international flights recovered to 90.2% (110,706), and overflights (those that do not depart from or land at a Spanish airport) rose by 0.2% (42,445).

This recovery in September in the number of flights in Spain was seven percentage points higher than the average recorded throughout Europe, which saw a decrease of 13.1% with respect to 2019.

Trend by control centre

There was a notable increase in the number of flights managed by the Seville control centre in September, 40,124 (4.3% more than in the same month in 2019), marking the sixth consecutive monthly increase.

In the Palma Control Centre, the number of consecutive monthly increases now stands at seven, with 40,256 flights managed in September, 0.9% more than in the same month in 2019.

International flights in the Canary Islands, 12,148, grew 1.3% in September over 2019 levels. The total number of flights managed in the Canary Islands was 28,010, 0.9% less.

The number of domestic flights managed by the Barcelona Control Centre, 17,037, rose 4.1%. The total number of flights was 96,056 (-3.9%). The Madrid Control Centre handled nearly 100,000 flights (99,227), 6.2% less than in September 2019.

A comparison between the flights managed by ENAIRE in September 2022 and those in the same period in 2021 reveals an increase of 30% (29.8%).

Traffic comparison September 2022/2019

TOTAL % International % Domestic % Overflights %

ENAIRE network
191,069 -6.1% 110,706 -9.8% 37,918 -1.1% 42,445 0.2%

Madrid CC
99,227 -6.2% 49,044 -9.5% 17,565 -3.0% 32,618 -2.5%

Barcelona CC
96,056 -3.9% 68,267 -7.7% 17,037 4.1% 10,752 11.9%

Canary Islands CC
28,010 -0.9% 12,148 1.3% 12,782 -0.7% 3,080 -9.0%

Seville CC
40,124 4.3% 18,497 -4.5% 10,639 6.8% 10,988 20.0%

Palma CC
40,256 0.9% 29,265 -0.6% 10,944 4.9% 47 9.3%

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.

Cumulative data for 2022

In the first nine months of the year, ENAIRE managed nearly 1.5 million flights (1,495,446), 10.0% fewer than in the same period in 2019, of which 859,423 were international (-11.8%), 312,240 were domestic (-5.3%) and 323,783 were overflights (-9.3%).

A comparison of the flights managed by ENAIRE from January to September with those for the same period in 2021 shows an increase of 87.0%.

Cumulative air traffic comparison January-September 2022/2019

TOTAL % International % Domestic % Overflights %

ENAIRE network
1,495,446 -10.0% 859,423 -11.8% 312,240 -5.3% 323,783 -9.3%

Madrid CC
805,466 -10.9% 410,959 -12.5% 139,647 -10.2% 254,860 -8.7%

Barcelona CC
715,261 -7.5% 497,564 -9.8% 138,191 -1.2% 79,506 -3.4%

Canary IslandsCC
253,283 -4.9% 119,665 -3.6% 108,866 -3.4% 24,752 -16.3%

Seville CC
323,097 -0.7% 151,493 -4.9% 89,140 3.0% 82,464 3.8%

Palma CC
279,653 2.0% 193,416 2.0% 85,904 2.1% 333 -27.6%

Summary of 2022 Summer Plan

As part of its 2022 Summer Plan, through 30 September, ENAIRE implemented a series of technical and operational initiatives and measures across its entire network, and specific in each of the regions, to allow it to deal with the high season under the best conditions to manage traffic peaks that are already exceeding those of 2019, while maintaining the highest levels of safety at all times.

In addition to the technical and operational measures, the Summer Plan included increasing the number of controllers.

ENAIRE- also photos

0 comments