Source: Aena

  • This is 16.2% higher than in 2022 and 2.9% better than in 2019
  • In the words of the Chairman and CEO of Aena, Maurici Lucena, “these record figures in air transport are fundamental for the economic and social development of Spain. We should all congratulate ourselves for these results. Airlines which, like Aena, suffered the harsh consequences of the pandemic, are now transporting more passengers than ever”.
  • In December, more than 20.1 million passengers were carried, 12.8% more than in the same month of 2022 and 10.6% more than in 2019
  • In 2023, there were 2,403,918 aircraft movements and 1,079,676 tonnes of cargo were transported across the network

The airports of the Aena network in Spain have closed 2023 with an all-time record number of passengers: 283,195,399, 16.2% more than in 2022 and 2.9% more than in 2019, prior to the pandemic, the previous record year in which 275,247,387 passengers were reached.

Maurici Lucena, Chairman and CEO of Aena has highlighted that “these record figures in air transport are fundamental for the economic and social development of Spain. We should all congratulate ourselves for these results. Airlines which, like Aena, suffered the harsh consequences of the pandemic, are now transporting more passengers than ever”.

Annual balance

Throughout 2023, Aena managed 2,403,918 aircraft movements, 8.5% more than in 2022; and 1,079,676 tonnes of freight were transported, up 7.9% on 2022 which represents a historic record in the transport of goods.

Of the total number of passengers last year, 282,388,924 were commercial passengers. 189,725,690 travelled on international flights, 18.2% more than in 2022, while 92,663,234 travelled on domestic flights, up 12.6% on that same year.

2023 traffic by airports

Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport recorded the highest number of passengers in 2023 with 60,220,984, up 18.9% compared to 2022.

It is followed by Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat, with 49,909,544 (+19.9% compared to 2022); Palma de Mallorca, with 31,105,987 (+8.9%); Málaga-Costa del Sol, with 22,344,373 (+21.1%); Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández, with 15,747,678 (+19.2%); Gran Canaria, with 13,961,638 (+12.4%) Tenerife Sur, with 12,337,244 (+14%) and Valencia, with 9,948,141 (+22.6%).

In terms of operations, the airport with the most movements in 2023 was Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas, with a total of 389,179 (+10.6% versus 2022), followed by Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat, with 318,957 flights (+12.5%); Palma de Mallorca, with 228,920 (+3.7%); Málaga-Costa del Sol, with 161,684 (+12.2%); Gran Canaria, with 129,552 (+8.4%) and Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández, with 100,547 landings and take-offs (+11.6%).

With regard to freight, the airport that recorded the highest volume of freight traffic was Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas, with 643,535 tonnes, 13.6% more than in 2022. It is followed by the airports of Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat, which registered 156,485 tonnes (+0.6%); Zaragoza, with 129,753 tonnes (+2.2%) and Vitoria, with 71,689 tonnes (-2.6%).

December 2023

For the month of December, the Aena airport network recorded a total of 20,188,071 passengers, 12.8% more than in the same month of 2022. Of these, 20,129,651 were commercial passengers, of which 7,203,881 were on domestic flights, 7.5% more than in December 2022. 12,925,770 passengers travelled on international routes, up 16.4%.

The number of aircraft operations in December 2022 was 176,368 in the airports of the Aena network, 11.3% more than in the same month of 2022.

Cargo transported totalled 99,728 tonnes, 17.3% more than in December 2022.