Aena Group Airports Passenger Traffic Rises Across Spain Brazil and London
Aena reported strong passenger traffic growth across its global airport network in April 2026, with almost 33.5 million passengers recorded across Spain, Brazil and the United Kingdom.
According to the latest figures, Aena Group airports handled 33,494,009 passengers during April, representing a 3.6% increase compared to the same month in 2025.
The airport operator also reported 290,393 aircraft movements during the month, up 5.6% year-on-year, while freight traffic increased by 5% to reach 125,808 tonnes.
Passenger Traffic Continued Growing in Early 2026
From January to April 2026, more than 114.7 million passengers travelled through Aena Group airports, reflecting a 3.7% increase compared to the same period in 2025.
The company also recorded 994,719 aircraft movements during the first four months of the year along with 489,223 tonnes of freight traffic.
Aena noted that passenger traffic during the early part of 2026 was partly influenced by travellers shifting from rail transport following a train accident in January.
Spain Accounted for Most Passenger Traffic
Aena’s airport network in Spain handled 28.3 million passengers in April 2026, up 3.7% compared to April 2025.
The airports also recorded 242,424 aircraft movements during the month, representing growth of 6.7%, while freight volumes increased by 5.3% to 112,884 tonnes.
Despite the growth, Aena stated that the pace of passenger increases was lower compared to the stronger growth recorded during the same period between 2024 and 2025.
Madrid and Barcelona Led Passenger Volumes
Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport remained the busiest airport in the Spanish network with 5,776,833 passengers recorded in April, representing a 3.3% increase year-on-year.
It was followed by Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport with 5,103,478 passengers, up 4.1%.
Other airports recording strong passenger traffic included:
- Palma de Mallorca Airport with 3,089,279 passengers
- Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport with 2,613,939 passengers
- Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport with 1,921,861 passengers
- Valencia Airport with 1,150,985 passengers
Some airports including Gran Canaria and Tenerife Sur reported slight declines in passenger numbers compared to last year.
Aircraft Movements Increased Across the Network
Madrid-Barajas also handled the highest number of aircraft movements in April with 37,586 operations, followed by Barcelona-El Prat with 32,057 flights.
Other airports including Málaga-Costa del Sol and Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández also recorded strong operational growth.
The increase in aircraft movements reflected continued airline activity and seasonal travel demand across Spain’s airport network.
Freight Traffic Also Expanded
Madrid-Barajas remained the largest cargo airport in the network with 65,851 tonnes of freight handled during April.
Zaragoza Airport recorded one of the strongest cargo growth rates with a 28.4% increase in freight traffic.
Barcelona-El Prat and Vitoria airports also reported cargo growth during the month.
Brazil Operations Recorded Continued Growth
Aena’s Brazilian airport operations also reported positive passenger growth in April.
The company’s 17 airports in Brazil handled 3.66 million passengers, up 3% compared to April 2025.
The BOAB airport group, which includes Congonhas Airport, handled more than 2.3 million passengers during the month.
Meanwhile, Recife Airport remained the leading airport within the ANB group with more than 780,000 passengers recorded.
From January to April 2026, Aena’s Brazilian airports served over 15.5 million passengers.
London Luton Airport Reported Passenger Growth
London Luton Airport recorded 1.54 million passengers in April 2026, representing growth of 2.5% compared to the same month last year.
The airport also handled nearly 11,700 aircraft movements and 2,476 tonnes of freight during the month.
Aena stated that freight traffic at the airport declined during the first four months of the year because of overnight runway closure works linked to resurfacing projects.
Airport Traffic Reflects Continued Travel Demand
The latest figures show continued recovery and growth in passenger demand across Aena’s international airport network.
Passenger traffic, aircraft operations and cargo volumes all increased across most regions, highlighting ongoing demand for air travel and logistics services during 2026.
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