Source: Aena
- 6.2% more than in the same month of 2024
- Aena’s airports in Spain handled 19.8 million passengers in the first month of the year, 6.1% more than in 2024
- For the summer season, airlines have scheduled 246.8 million seats at the airports of the Aena network: 1.5% more than last year’s schedule and 6.5% more compared to the flights operated at the close of the same season in 2024
The airports of the Aena Group (comprising the 46 airports and two heliports in Spain, London Luton Airport and 17 airports in Brazil) closed the first month of 2025 with 24,999,784 passengers, 6.2% more than in the same month of 2024; they handled 222,696 aircraft movements, 3.6% more than in 2024; and transported 108,164 tonnes of freight, 5.6% more than in the same month of last year.
Aena airports in Spain
The airports of the Aena network in Spain closed January with 19,801,425 passengers, 6.1% more than in the same month of 2024; they handled 174,488 aircraft movements, 5.2% more than in 2024; and they transported 95,824 tonnes of freight, up 4.4% on January of last year.
At 5,198,143 passengers, Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport recorded the highest number of passengers in January, representing growth of 8.4% compared to this month last year. It is followed by Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat, with 3,695,529 (+5.4% compared with 2024); Gran Canaria, with 1,370,749 (+6.2%); Málaga-Costa del Sol, with 1,369,837 (+1.9%); Tenerife Sur, with 1,287,940 (+6.8%); Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández, with 1,057,214 (+10.3%) and Palma de Mallorca, with 909,795 passengers, an increase of 2.2% on January 2024.
In addition, a record number of passengers was recorded in a month of January in the Aena network as a whole and in 20 airports: Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas, Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat, Gran Canaria, Málaga-Costa Del Sol, Tenerife Sur, Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández, Palma de Mallorca, Valencia, César Manrique-Lanzarote, Sevilla, Fuerteventura, Tenerife Norte-Ciudad de La Laguna, Ibiza, Asturias, La Palma, Menorca, Melilla, El Hierro, Vitoria and La Gomera
In terms of operations, the airport with the most movements in January was Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas, with a total of 33,811 (+6.9% compared with 2024), followed by Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat, with 24,585 flights (+4.1%); Gran Canaria, with 12,170 (+6.3%); Málaga-Costa del Sol, with 10,423 (+0.9%); Tenerife Sur, with 8,711 (+8.4%); Palma de Mallorca, with 8,663 (+0.2%); and Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández, with 7,123 landings and take-offs (+10.1%).
In the first month of 2025, a record number of operations in a month of January was also recorded overall for Aena and at 11 infrastructures: Logroño, La Gomera (which also recorded its busiest month ever), Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández, Tenerife Norte-Ciudad de La Laguna, El Hierro, Tenerife Sur, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, César Manrique-Lanzarote, Málaga-Costa Del Sol and Son Bonet.
In terms of freight traffic, the Aena network as a whole recorded the busiest January in history. By airport, the one that recorded the highest freight volume was Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas, with 58,850 tonnes, 6.9% more than in the same month of 2024, which means it was also the month of January with the highest freight traffic in the history of the Madrid infrastructure. It was followed by the Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport, which recorded 13,399 tonnes (-1.8%); Zaragoza Airport, with 11,597 tonnes (+7.5%); and Vitoria, with 5,732 tonnes (-3.9%).
Aena Brasil Airports
The 17 airports of Aena Brasil reached 4,070,518 passengers in January, 5% more than in the same month of 2024. 39,031 aircraft movements were carried out, a decrease of 3.4% compared with the same month in 2024, and 10,052 tonnes of freight were transported, up 18.2% compared with the same month last year.
The group of six ANB airports(1) closed the month of January with 1,646,383 passengers (+2.3%). Recife Airport reached 948,273 passengers (+1.5%). There were 14,526 flights (-4.3%), of which Recife managed 8,154 (-4.3%). And 5,511 tonnes of freight were moved (+23.4%), of which 4,520 tonnes corresponded to Recife Airport (+23%).
The BOAB group of eleven airports(2) recorded 2,424,135 passengers in January (+7% over the same month of 2024). Among them, Congonhas Airport stands out with 2,049,846 passengers (+6.2%). A total of 24,505 flights were handled (-2.8%), of which 18,211 (-5.3%) were at São Paulo airport. And 4,541 tonnes of freight were transported (+12.5%). At Congonhas Airport in São Paulo, 3,991 tonnes were handled, 18.8% more than in the same month of the previous year.
London Luton Airport
During the month of January, 1,127,841 passengers(3) passed through London Luton Airport’s London facilities, 11.9% more than in the same month in 2024. 9,177 aircraft movements were carried out (+6.3%) and 2,288 tonnes of freight(4) were transported, 7.1% more than in 2024.
246.8 million seats for the summer season
Airlines have scheduled 246.8 million seats (departures and arrivals) in the airports of the Aena network for the summer season, which starts next Sunday, 30 March and will run until Saturday, 25 October 2025. This implies an increase of 1.5% in scheduled seats compared with the same season in 2024 and growth of 6.5% compared with the actual number by the end of the season.
In the case of operations, airlines have scheduled almost 1.4 million landings and take-offs in the airports of the Aena network in Spain, which represents an increase of 1.2% compared with the operations scheduled for the 2024 summer season and 4.8% more than the flights that were eventually operated.
Overall, during this period the airlines plan to operate 3,074 routes to 349 destinations in 84 countries from Aena airports in Spain.
The airports from which most seats are offered are: Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas, with 48 million (0.7% less than those scheduled for 2024, but 3% more than those eventually operated) and Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat, with 42.9 million (1.6% more than those scheduled for 2024 and 8% more than those eventually operated).
They are followed by the airports of Palma de Mallorca, with 33.3 million (0.1% more than those scheduled for 2024 and 6% more than those eventually operated); Málaga-Costa del Sol, with 20.9 million (4.6% more than those scheduled for 2024 and 10% more than those eventually operated); Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández, with 14.7 million (3.2% more than those scheduled for 2024 and 6% more than those eventually operated); Gran Canaria, with 10.4 million (6% more than those scheduled for 2024 and 10% more than those eventually operated) and Ibiza, with 9.5 million (2.2% less than those scheduled for 2024, but 5% more than those eventually operated).
By geographic area, the markets with the highest growth compared with last year’s schedule are Asia-Pacific, with a 38.9% increase in seats, followed by North America with 8.7%, Latin America with 6.1%, Africa with 4.9%, and Europe and the Middle East, both with 1.2%. While comparing this year’s schedule with the end of the 2024 summer season, Asia-Pacific remains in the lead with an increase of 46%, followed by Africa and the Middle East, both with 20%, North America with 10%, Latin America with 9% and Europe with 7%.
By country, domestic routes account for the largest number of scheduled seats, followed by destinations in the UK, Germany, Italy, France and the Netherlands.
In any case, it should be remembered that the scheduling of seats and movements is always subject to change by the airlines.
Aena Brasil Network
(1) ANB – Aeroportos do Nordeste do Brasil -, which manages the airports of Recife-PE, Maceió-AL, Aracaju-SE, João Pessoa-PB, Juazeiro do Norte-CE and Campina Grande-PB, recorded 15,932,971 passengers in 2024.
(2) BOAB – Bloco dos Onze Aeroporto do Brasil -, which manages the airports of Congonhas-SP, Campo Grande-MS, Corumbá-MS, Ponta Porã-MS, Santarém-PA, Marabá-PA, Carajás-PA, Altamira-PA, Uberlândia-MG, Montes Claros-MG and Uberaba-MG, recorded 27,443,005 passengers in 2024.
London Luton
(3) Passengers under the age of 2 are not counted.
(4) Includes the transport of mail.