ENAIRE managed nearly half a million flights in the first quarter: almost 10% more than those operated between January and March 2023

ENAIRE managed nearly half a million flights (474,291) in the first quarter of 2024, 9.6% more than in the same period in 2023, a record year for flights, with nearly 2.2 million.

This new growth in air traffic in Spain through March exceeded the European average, which was 6.2%, by 3.4 percentage points

International flights from January to March (256,303) increased by 12.4%, overflights (114,049) by 7.5%, and domestic flights (103,939) by 5.3%.

In the first three months of the year, all ENAIRE air traffic control centres saw increases in the number of flights managed. Leading the way with double-digit growth was Seville, with 115,136 flights managed, 11.8% more than in 2023 (26.2% more than in 2019, the previous record year); Barcelona, with 196,431, 10.8% more, and the Canary Islands, with 105,368, 10.1% more. Madrid managed 283,981, 9.5% more, and Palma, 41,743, 3.1% more.

March data

In March alone, ENAIRE managed over 170,000 flights (173,753), 9.7% more than in the same month in 2023

Of those, 95,178 were international, 12.9% more, 40,864 were overflights (flights that do not depart from or arrive at a Spanish airport), 7.1% more, and 37,711 were domestic, 4.9% more.

All ENAIRE control centres registered an increase in the number of flights managed in March: The Canary Islands managed 37,845 flights (+12.8%); Madrid, 102,900 (+10.5%); Barcelona, 72,839 (+9.8%); Seville, 41,532 (+9.3%); and Palma, 17,062 (+2.4%).

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 four 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.