ENAIRE reduces delays by 29% and improves its safety and environmental sustainability indicators in the busiest June for air traffic on record

The sustained growth of air traffic in Spain—year after year since the post-COVID recovery—has now pushed the record for flights managed by ENAIRE in a single day to over 8,000 aircraft. In fact, the state-owned air navigation manager shattered its previous records on Saturday, 5 July, with a total of 8,103 flights. This figure surpassed the previous record set just a week earlier, on 28 June 2025, when the national manager handled 7,932 flights, and it is likely that this record will continue to be broken throughout the summer season.

These successive records, set just as the summer season begins, highlight the unprecedented growth of air traffic in Spain. In fact, Spain’s recovery in air traffic, compared with pre-pandemic levels in 2019, exceeded the European average by 16.1 percentage points in the first half of the year. Compared to specific countries in 2019, this difference in the first half of 2025 rises to 22.5 percentage points over Germany; 16.8 points over the United Kingdom; and 10 points over France. These differences are significantly higher than those recorded in 2024.

These traffic records have prompted the implementation of a series of technical and operational measures, including airspace restructuring, improvements in safety and resilience, and the strengthening of air traffic controller staffing, all with a firm commitment to enhancing environmental sustainability.

The air navigation manager handled 228,069 flights in June (4.4% more than in June 2024) and nearly 1.17 million in the first half of the year, up 5.6% on the same period of the record year 2024

Increased controller staffing

As part of these measures, ENAIRE’s ‘Summer 2025 Plan’ includes 143 more air traffic controllers compared to 2019, and 54 more than in 2024. This increase in controllers has been further supported by a new recruitment drive for 150 controller positions, currently in the final stages of the selection process, preparing to begin their training phases.

The reinforcement of the air traffic controller workforce is a firm commitment by ENAIRE and the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility to meet the challenges posed by growing air traffic, complementing the technical-operational measures and airspace management initiatives that ENAIRE is implementing through its Strategic Plan (the Flight Plan).

It is important to note that the increase in air traffic has been accompanied by an improvement in the quality of service provided by ENAIRE. In fact, surpassing the 8,000 daily flights mark has been achieved alongside a 29% reduction in delays from all causes in June 2025 compared to June 2024, as well as an 11% improvement in safety and sustainability indicators compared to the previous year.

Less CO₂ into the atmosphere

It is noteworthy that despite Spain’s exceptional growth in air traffic, consolidated data from January to May 2025 show an improvement in the efficiency of routes managed by ENAIRE, which has resulted in 150,000 fewer kilometres flown, equivalent to 3.7 trips around the Earth. This has prevented the emission of 2,800 tonnes of CO₂ into the atmosphere and saved airlines 890 tonnes of fuel compared to the same period in 2024.

Half-year data

As a summary of the current year’s performance in the first half, ENAIRE managed nearly 1.17 million flights (1,167,433) during this period, representing a 5.6% increase over the same period in the record year 2024 and a 14.7% rise compared to 2019. This is the busiest half-year on record, and 2025 is forecast to be another record-breaking year.

In the first six months of the year, overflights, which do not depart from or land at a Spanish airport (271,134), increased by 7.1% compared to 2024 and by 14.1% compared to 2019; international flights (668,757) rose by 6.8% versus 2024 and 14.3% versus 2019; and domestic flights (227,542) grew by 0.7% compared to 2024 and 8% compared to 2019.

This growth in air traffic in Spain so far this year exceeds the European average, which is 3.8%, by 1.8 percentage points, and is 16.1 percentage points higher compared to the same period in 2019, which was -1.4%.

All ENAIRE air traffic control centres have recorded cumulative increases in flights managed of over 3.5% compared to 2024 and more than 12.1% compared to 2019: Sevilla managed 271,878 flights (+7.2% versus 2024 and +33.3% versus 2019); Barcelona, 545,183 (+7.1% versus 2024 and +20.4% versus 2019); 213,518 (+6.3% versus 2024 and +20.1% versus 2019); Madrid, 645,898 (+5.0% versus 2024 and +12.1% versus 2019); and Palma, 163,735 (+3.5% versus 2024 and +16.9% versus 2019).

Figures for June

In June, ENAIRE managed over 228,000 flights (228,069), which is 4.4% more than in the same month of 2024 and 10.9% higher than in 2019. Of these, 50,089 were overflights, up 5.6% from 2024; 136,383 were international flights, up 4.9%; and 41,597 were domestic flights, up 1.4%.

The increase in air traffic in Spain in June exceeds the European average (which was 2.7% compared to June 2024) by 1.7 percentage points and is 11.1 percentage points higher than in June 2019 (pre-COVID), which stood at -0.2%.

All ENAIRE control centres recorded an increase in flights managed in June compared to the same month in 2024, with rises above 3.2%: Seville managed 50,241 flights (+6.8%); Canary Islands, 32,898 (+5.7%); Barcelona, 117,481 (+5.1%); Madrid, 116,353 (+4.0%); and Palma, 46,452 (+3.2%).

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 fifth 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.