Domestic traffic reaches 97.8%
- ENAIRE managed over 180,000 flights in the fifth month of the year
- The recovery of air traffic in Spain exceeds the European average by 8.7 percentage points
- The flights managed in Seville rose by 9.1%
- Third consecutive month of traffic growth in the Balearic Islands
Air traffic is gradually continuing to recover to pre-pandemic levels. ENAIRE managed over 180,000 flights in May (184,259), which is just 4.9% 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 95.1% of flights in May compared to 2019 levels, which is 2.8 points higher that the percentage recovered in April 2022 (92.3%).
This recovery in the number of flights in Spain is 8.7 percentage points higher than the average recorded throughout Europe, which saw a decrease in May of 13.6% with respect to 2019.
In May 2022, domestic traffic (36,803 flights) recovered 97.8% compared to the same month in 2019. International flights recovered to 92.8% (107,782), and overflights (those that do not depart from or land at a Spanish airport) to 99.5% (39,674).
There was a notable increase in the number of flights managed by the Seville control centre in May, 39,928 (9.1% more than in the same month in 2019), marking the second consecutive monthly increase.
In Palma, the number of monthly increases now stands at three, with 36,252 flights managed in May, 6.1% more than in the same month in 2019. In the Canary Islands, 27,050 flights were managed in May, 1.1% fewer than in the same month in 2019, although international flights (12,121) rose by 2.9%. Barcelona handled 90,513 flights, 2.1% fewer, although domestic flights (16,546) went up by 5.4%. The Control Centre with the most flights managed in May was Madrid with 97,363, 6.5% fewer.
A comparison between the flights managed by ENAIRE in May 2022 and those in the same period in 2021 shows an increase of 170.1%.
Air traffic comparison May 2022/2019
TOTAL % International % Domestic % Overflights %
ENAIRE network
184,259 – 4.9% 107,782 – 7.2% 36,803 -2.2% 39,674 – 0.5%
Madrid CC 97,363 – 6.5% 48,908 – 9.2% 16,548 – 7.7% 31,907 -1.3%
Barcelona CC
90,513 -2.1% 64,770 – 5.4% 16,546 5.4% 9,197 10.9%
Canary Islands CC
27,050 – 1.1% 12,121 2.9% 12,255 – 1.5% 2,674 – 14.4%
Seville CC
39,928 9.1% 18,931 0.4% 10,695 6.3% 10,302 34.2%
Palma CC
36,253 6.1% 26,331 5.1% 9,865 9.0% 57 11.8%
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 five months of the year, ENAIRE managed 698,166 flights, 14.1% fewer than in the same period in 2019, of which 393,810 were international (- 14.5%), 155,402 (-9.7%) were domestic and 148,954 (-17.2%) were overflights.
A comparison of the flights managed by ENAIRE in the first five months of the year with those in the same period in 2021 shows an increase of 188.3%.
Cumulative air traffic comparison January-May 2022/2019
TOTAL % International % Domestic % Overflights %
ENAIRE network
698,166 – 14.1% 393,810 – 14.5% 155,402 – 9.7% 148,954 – 17.2%
Madrid CC
400,355 – 14.7% 211,301 – 14.3% 69,175 -16.0% 119,879 – 14.8%
Barcelona CC
307,172 – 12.5% 206,580 – 13.4% 65,993 – 7.6% 34,599 – 15.8%
Canary IslandsCC
137,999 – 8.2% 69,906 – 6.6% 55,551 – 6.6% 12,542 – 21.5%
Seville CC
154,162 -6.7% 73,780 – 6.5% 45,390 – 0.9% 34,992 – 13.7%
Palma CC
100,667 2.5% 62,662 4.9% 37,848 – 1.1% 157 – 38.7%
2022-2023 Summer Plan
For the high air traffic seasons (summer in mainland Spain and Balearic Islands and winter in the Canary Islands) in 2022 and 2023, ENAIRE has an ambitious action plan involving technical, operational and airspace restructuring projects, its so-called “2022-2023 Summer Plan”, which is based on the ENAIRE strategy defined in its 2025 Flight Plan and is part of a framework of work and collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda, Aena and air carriers and associations.
In light of the continuing upward trend in air traffic, the 2022-2023 Summer Plan includes the national and international technical, operational and human resources measures needed to achieve the best possible safety, efficiency, speed, service quality and sustainability rates.
This requires the implementation of unrestricted routes so that airlines can fly on optimised, phased trajectories in 2022 and 2023-2024; new tools for flow control and dynamic airspace sectors.
Increase in controller staffing
ENAIRE has reinforced the number of air traffic controllers in anticipation of a summer season that is expected to rival the record number of flights in 2019.
By region, the staffing and the increase in controller numbers (those that are qualified and available for duty) are as follows: South, 250 controllers (+9.6%); Canary Islands, 264 (+9.0%); East, 512 (+8.2%), Balearic Islands, 197 (+5.9%) and Central-North, 630 (+1.7%).
The staffing in each region strictly reflects the air traffic management needs assigned to each region.
In all, the number of active controllers across the network has increased by 6% since 2019.
ENAIRE’s strategy of increasing the number of air traffic controllers to meet traffic forecasts has been in place since 2016 and will continue. In fact, ENAIRE had a total of 1,968 air traffic controllers in 2016 (including active controllers and those in management and support roles). The total number of controllers currently stands at 2,117 (7.6% more).
ENAIRE lowers its charges to help the sector
ENAIRE drastically reduced its air navigation charges in 2021 to speed the recovery of the aviation sector.
Of the 38 countries in EUROCONTROL, Spain, through ENAIRE, is the one that lowered its route charges the most in 2021, to around 8% below the average charge.
ENAIRE reduced its continental route charge in 2020 (-16.7%) and 2021 (-11%) by 26%, and in the Canary Islands (-12.5% /-8.5%, respectively) by 20%, thus helping the aviation sector to recover from the crisis brought about by the pandemic.
Moreover, until 2024, air navigation charges will remain below 2019 levels, a year in which ENAIRE was already operating with the lowest charges in the last ten years, and which were among the most competitive in Europe. As a result, the continental charges in 2022 will be 19.4% lower than in 2019, and in the Canary Islands they will be lowered by 14.4%.
ENAIRE also photos
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