ENAIRE records its highest figures ever: over 2.3 million flights managed in 2024

In 2024, ENAIRE, the national air navigation service provider, again beat the record for flights managed; and it did so after 2023, the previous record year. This is the highest number of flights ever managed: more than 2.3 million (2,358,988), which is 7.6% more than in 2023.

10 August saw the highest traffic, with 7,886 flights

In the 2024 summer season, ENAIRE set a new all-time traffic record on 71 occasions, with the peak being on 10 August, when it managed 7,886 flights.

If flights are compared to pre-COVID levels, i.e., with those of 2019, the annual increase was 9.7%.

In addition, in 2024, the increase in flights managed in Spain over 2023 exceeded the European average by 2.4 percentage points, which was 5.2% in that period. Comparing 2024 with 2019, the increase in flights managed in Spain exceeded the European average in that period by 13.4 percentage points, which was -3.7% in Europe over the same period.

In 2024, there were 1,354,960 international flights (9.5% more than in 2023), 537,634 (+5.5%) overflights, which do not land at or depart from a Spanish airport, and 466,394 domestic flights (+4.9%).

All ENAIRE control centres saw traffic increase by more than 5% between 2023 and 2024: Canary Islands, 8.8%; Barcelona, 8.5%; Seville, 8.0%; Madrid, 6.9%; and Palma, 5.8%.

Note. The total traffic registered by ENAIRE's network does not correspond to the sum of flights managed by each control centre (CC). This is because each CC records a flight depending on the route and airspace it crosses, but that flight is only counted once in the ENAIRE network as a whole. For example: a flight departing from Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport bound for Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat will be registered in both the Madrid and Barcelona CC, but only once in the network.

December data

As for the last month of the year, the total number of flights was 174,556, 6.5% more than in 2023 and 17.3% more than in 2019. Of these, 95,379 (+7.9%) were international, 42,821 (+5.2%) were overflights, and 36,356 (+4.7%) were domestic.

In December, by control centre, the Canary Islands stand out, with 39,230 flights (+8.4%), Barcelona, with 73,261 (+7.2%), and Seville, with 43,333 (+7.2%).

Record in perceived quality as well

In 2024, ENAIRE again set new records in customer-perceived quality surveys. The latest study on the quality of its services exceeds the target set by ENAIRE in its strategic plan for 2024 by 3 points, confirming the continuous improvement achieved since records began.

Notably, ENAIRE has improved its perceived service quality by 22.6% among pilots, achieving the highest score in the historical series. In the four years since implementing ENAIRE's Strategic Plan, Flight Plan 2025, the perceived quality level has gone up by 9.5%

Committed to the environment

Given the record number of flights in 2024, the efficiency of routes managed by ENAIRE through November was 96.7%, improving on the value from 2019. As a result, 3 million kilometres of flight were avoided, equivalent to 94 trips around the Earth. Additionally, 57,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions were prevented, and over 18,000 tonnes of fuel were saved compared to 2019.

ENAIRE, international leader in safety management

Within the framework of the organization’s successive strategic plans, the 2020 Flight Plan and the 2025 Flight Plan, safety, quality of service, efficiency and sustainability are ENAIRE’s priorities in flight management.

Furthermore, ENAIRE has been the European leader in the effectiveness of its Safety Management Systrem since 2019, achieving and maintaining the maximum possible result (100%) since 2020 for the fourth consecutive year.

About ENAIRE

ENAIRE is the air navigation service provider in Spain.

As a company of the Ministry of Sustainable Transport and Mobility, it provides air traffic control services during the en route and approach phases of all flights to and from Spain and overflights. In addition, it manages communications, navigation and surveillance services from ENAIRE in the airspace and the entire AENA airport network in Spain and provides aerodrome air traffic control services in 21 airports, including the busiest.

ENAIRE is the fourth largest European air navigation service provider, and it is a member of international partnerships A6 Alliance, SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) Joint Undertaking, SESAR Deployment Manager, iTEC, CANSO (Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation) and collaborates closely with ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization).

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 600 Seal for its safe, efficient, innovative and sustainable management of air navigation services.