ENAIRE beat its record in 2023 with almost 2.2 million flights managed

ENAIRE, Spain's air navigation service provider, recorded an all-time record in 2023 for flights managed at nearly 2.2 million (2,191,932), 10.6% more than in 2022.

This increase of 2023 over 2022 is almost 1% more than the European average in the same period (which went up by 9.8%). The number of flights managed in Spain in 2023 was also 2% higher than in the previous record year, 2019, exceeding the European average by 10.5%.

On 22 July, ENAIRE set an all-time record with 7,449 flights managed in one day

In addition to the cumulative figures, in two days in the summer of 2023, the record from 2019 was beaten: On Saturday 22 July, ENAIRE managed 7,449 flights, a record, thus exceeding the previous record reached in July 2019, when 7,425 flights were managed in one day. A total of 7,440 flights were handled on 12 August, also surpassing the 2019 record.

Overflights, which do not depart from or land at a Spanish airport, (509,708) showed the most improvement throughout 2023, increasing by 16.0% compared to 2022. International flights, 1,237,541, went up 10.0%, and domestic flights, 444,683, increased by 6.7%.

Traffic rose at every control centre in 2023, and the centres of Seville (13.5%), Barcelona (11.4%) and Madrid (10.5%) saw double-digit increases compared to 2022

December data

As for the last month of the year, the total number of flights was 163,839, 9.8% more than in 2022 and 10.1% more than in 2019. Of these, 88,420 (+12.3%) were international, 34,716 (+4.4%) were domestic, and 40,703 (+9.2%) were overflights.

By control centre, Barcelona recorded 68,321 flights (+13.1%), Seville 40,417 (+12.1%), and Madrid 98,721 (+9.2%).

Perceived quality improved, even with more traffic

ENAIRE has a perceived quality amongst its customers of 77.2%, the highest value in its history, with an increase of 2.6% compared to the previous year and exceeding the target of 76% laid out in its strategic plan, the 2025 Flight Plan.

This improvement in perceived quality is particularly significant, as it comes at a time when ENAIRE is managing higher levels of traffic.

Spanish airports gave ENAIRE a score of 91.2%, the highest in the history of ENAIRE. This score assesses the perceived quality of the services provided by ENAIRE involving air control, traffic management, communications, navigation and surveillance, the design of airspace procedures, manoeuvres, and more.

With regard to the scores given by airports, the aerodrome ATC services stand out, and specifically the control tower services, which were rated at 4.8 out of 5, with a level of perceived quality that was 9% higher than in the previous survey carried out in 2021.

In addition, in 2023, a perceived quality survey was administered to general and sports aviation users who, represented by the leading national associations and federations, gave the services provided by ENAIRE a score of 76.4%, 19% higher than in the previous year.

Committed to the environment

In the first 11 months of 2023, flight efficiency in the Spanish route network was 96.7%, improving on the figure for 2019, the previous record year for traffic in Spain.

This means that from January to November 2023, 1.6 million nautical miles, equivalent to 2.9 million km, were avoided (almost 73 times around Earth). This avoided emitting 55,000 tonnes of atmospheric CO₂ and saved 17,500 tonnes of fuel compared to 2019, all while managing more traffic.

About ENAIRE

ENAIRE is the air navigation service provider in Spain.

As a company of the Ministry of Sustainable Transport and Mobility, 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, 46 airports receive communication, navigation and surveillance services from ENAIRE, which also maintains their air traffic control systems, and 21 of them, including the country's busiest airports, rely on its aerodrome air traffic 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 responsible agency identified by the Ministry of Sustainable Transport and Mobility to implement the U-Space system in Spain, will, through its digital platform, provide the Common Information Services (CIS), which are essential to facilitate U-space services to drones and Urban Air Mobility in cooperation with local air traffic 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 for three years in a row. It has also been awarded the EFQM 500 Seal for its safe, efficient, innovative and sustainable management of air navigation services.