ENAIRE reports record flight numbers alongside greater efficiency and sustainability

ENAIRE, Spain’s state-owned air navigation service provider, held its 2025 Annual Client Conference at the Palacio de Zurbano in Madrid, an event aimed at sharing with operators, associations, and stakeholders the evolution of the air navigation service and its strategic priorities for the coming years. The event was attended by around one hundred executives and representatives from all areas of aviation and air navigation, including regulators, airlines, drone operators, vendors, partners, and general and sports aviation. 

Benito Núñez: “With this new strategic plan, ENAIRE reinforces its commitment to greater efficiency and excellence in air traffic management” 

The session was opened by ENAIRE’s Director General, Enrique Maurer, who presented the operational results for the year. He noted that Spain “continues to see air traffic growth above the European average, with an expected year-end figure close to 2.5 million flights managed, representing 14% more than before the pandemic, and steady growth of around 5% annually”.

In operational terms, Enrique Maurer highlighted “the 7% reduction in en-route delays attributable to air traffic control compared with 2024, as well as the decrease in airport-related delays, which stands at an average of 0.14 minutes per flight, in a European context marked by strong pressure on network capacity”. 

Regarding safety, ENAIRE’s Director General underlined that the state-owned enterprise has succeeded, for the fifth consecutive year, in maintaining the highest European rating in the key safety-management indicator, and has also improved its indicators in this field in a scenario of exceptional air-traffic levels. 

[The Secretary General for Air and Maritime Transport, Benito Núñez, and the Director General of ENAIRE, Enrique Maurer]

Sustainability 

As a company under the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Maurer stressed that the sustainability measures implemented by ENAIRE in its air traffic control services over the past five years “have prevented the emission of 300,000 tonnes of CO₂, equivalent to 400 journeys around the Earth, making a significant contribution to the environmental efficiency of the system”. 

He also highlighted that 2025 is closing “with the highest service-quality rating in our history in the areas of airports and general aviation, in line with the results obtained in 2024 in surveys carried out among commercial aviation companies and pilots”. ENAIRE’s Director General wished to explicitly acknowledge the contribution of the team he leads: “These results are the outcome of the commitment shown by our more than 4,400 professionals, as well as our firm focus on people, technological innovation, digitisation and continuous improvement in air-traffic management”.

The Director General also devoted part of his speech to ENAIRE’s forward-looking vision. In this regard, he noted that the coming years will be marked by greater geopolitical uncertainty and by the need to strengthen civil-military coordination, physical security and cybersecurity. He also referred to the regulatory demands associated with the Single European Sky (SES 2+), the new European ATM Master Plan and the performance targets for the RP4 period (2025–2029), which will require a “major collective effort” together with stakeholders. 

Against this backdrop, he explained that the 2030 Flight Plan is “the roadmap for the next five years, a strategic framework developed through active listening and ongoing dialogue with stakeholders”, principles that also guided the organisation of this event. 

Following this overview, the Director of Air Navigation Services, José Luis Meler, presented the 2025 operational review, detailing the network’s evolution and measures aimed at enhancing capacity, efficiency, and system fluidity. Meanwhile, the Director of Strategy and Innovation, María Luz de Mateo, outlined the progress of ENAIRE’s future Strategic Plan (2030 Flight Plan), the strategic framework that will guide ENAIRE’s technological and operational modernisation during the 2026–2030 period. 

The session “Our Services: Challenges and Innovation”, moderated by the Central-North Regional Director, Enrique Gismera, featured presentations from Laura Garcés, Deputy Director of Air Navigation Services; Xavier Benavent, Director of Operations; José Luis Rodríguez, Director of Systems; and Javier Cámara, Head of the ATM Design, Development and Implementation Division. The speakers analysed the main ongoing operational and technological projects, as well as the challenges associated with implementing new capabilities aimed at strengthening service efficiency and resilience.

Subsequently, the panel “Safety, Quality and Sustainability: Progress and Commitment”, moderated by Estíbaliz Salazar, Head of the Sustainability and Institutional Relations Division, brought together Santiago Cortés, Head of the Safety Division; Gema Haro, Head of the Environment Division; and María López, Head of the Clients and CSR Division. The session reviewed the evolution of operational safety in line with European standards, environmental performance, quality management, and initiatives aimed at enhancing the customer relationship model, as part of ENAIRE’s commitment to delivering an increasingly safe, sustainable, and collaborative service.

The event also included the panel “Governance Models, Resilience and Coordination in Times of Transformation”, which featured Elena Sáenz, Secretary General; Juan Ángel Treceño, Director of Civil-Military Coordination; Mariano Gasparet, Director of Communications; and Gerardo Sarmiento, Head of the Cybersecurity Office. Their contributions highlighted the importance of institutional coordination, cross-functional management, and the system’s ability to respond to complex operational scenarios. 

The closing remarks were delivered by the Secretary General for Air and Maritime Transport, Benito Núñez, who emphasised the strategic nature of the air navigation service and ENAIRE’s contribution to the cohesion and efficiency of the air transport system. “With this new strategic plan, ENAIRE reinforces its commitment to pursuing greater efficiency, the continuous improvement of its services, and excellence in air traffic management”, he stated. 

[Family photo from ENAIRE's 2025 Annual Customer Day]

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 five 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.