ENAIRE recovered 92.2% of flights in 2022 compared to the record levels of 2019

The trend in air traffic puts the number of flights managed by ENAIRE throughout Spain in the past year at practically the same level as before the pandemic. In 2022, ENAIRE managed close to two million flights (1,980,990), 7.8% fewer than in 2019, a record year. This means a recovery of 92.2% of the pre-COVID traffic.

Moreover, the recovery of air traffic in Spain exceeds the European average by almost 9 points (8.9%).

In 2022, ENAIRE managed nearly 2 million flights

Domestic flights (416,632) evolved the best in 2022, recovering to 95.9% with respect to 2019 (-4.1%). International flights (1,124,987) recovered to 90% (-10%), and overflights (those that do not depart from or land at a Spanish airport) to 94.4% (-5.6%).

In 2022, the most notable increases were reported by Seville, with 438,236 flights managed, 2.8% more, and Palma, with 339,988, 2.7% more.

The ENAIRE Control Centre in Madrid managed more than one million flights last year, 1,085,719 (-8.6%) and Barcelona, 925,845 (-6%). The Canary Islands, with 351,452 flights managed (-1.7%), saw more international traffic (+0.3%).

A comparison of the flights managed by ENAIRE from January to December with those for the same period in 2021 shows an increase of 66.6%.

Seville, the Canary Islands and Madrid grow in December

Traffic rose again in the final month of the year. The total air traffic was around 150,000 flights (149,240), an increase of 0.3%. Of them, 78,725 (-3.0%) were international, 33,237 were domestic (-0.6%) and 37,278 were overflights (+8.7%).

The best figures were reported by Seville, with 36,064 flights (+12.1%), the Canary Islands, with 34,520 (+9.6%) and Madrid, with 90,404 (+1.3%).

Overflights in Barcelona, with 60,431 flights (-1.3%), increased by 23.8%. Palma, with 12,567 flights (-0.4%), saw an increase in domestic traffic by 5.5%.

A comparison between the flights managed by ENAIRE in December 2022 and those in the same period in 2021 reveals an increase of 24.2%.

Domestic flights fared the best, with a recovery of 95.9%

World leader in safety

ENAIRE's priority when managing these flights is safety. Safety, efficiency and sustainability characterise ENAIRE's management.

ENAIRE and CRIDA, its research, development and innovation subsidiary, received the 2021 CANSO Global Air Safety Award at the 2022 World ATM Congress.

This award acknowledges the work done by ENAIRE and CRIDA to develop a tool to automatically monitor for loss of separation between aircraft (Automatic Safety Monitoring Tool - ASMT).

About ENAIRE

ENAIRE is the air navigation service provider in Spain.

As a company of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda, it provides en route control services for all flights and overflights from five control centres in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Gran Canaria and Palma, as well as approach services to every airport in the country.

In addition, 45 control towers receive ENAIRE's communication, navigation and surveillance services, and 21 airports, including the country's busiest, rely on its aerodrome control services.

ENAIRE is Europe's fourth largest air traffic manager and participates in the A6 Alliance, a coalition of air navigation providers responsible for over 80% of European air traffic, and which is seeking to modernise the air traffic management system. It is also a member of other international alliances promoting the Single European sky, such as SESAR Joint Undertaking, SESAR Deployment Manager, iTEC, CANSO and ICAO.

ENAIRE, as the agency appointed by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda to implement the U-space system in Spain, will be the provider of the Common Information Services (CIS), which are essential for administering U-space services to drones and Urban Air Mobility, in interaction with local air traffic control services, so that all types of aircraft can fly safely in the same airspace.

ENAIRE has received the highest score in Europe on the aviation safety key performance indicator. It has also been awarded the EFQM 500 Seal for its safe, efficient, innovative and sustainable management of air navigation services.