Spain welcomes 7.1 million international air passengers in February

International

Growth driven by strong demand from the US, Ireland and emerging markets

Spain received 7.1 million international air passengers in February, marking a year-on-year increase of 5.2%, according to the latest data published by Turespaña. Growth was particularly strong from long-haul markets, with arrivals from the Americas rising by 8.4% and Asia recording a sharp increase of 18.5%, while European traffic grew by 3.9%.

Broad-based growth with notable exceptions

Passenger arrivals increased from all major source markets except Germany and the Netherlands. Poland stood out with double-digit growth, while Ireland and the United States continued their positive upward trend.

In terms of market diversification, countries such as the United Arab Emirates, China and Brazil showed both strong volumes and significant growth, highlighting their increasing relevance for Spain’s inbound tourism.

United Kingdom remains leading source market

The United Kingdom remained Spain’s largest source market in February, accounting for around 1.3 million passengers, or 19% of total arrivals. This represents a year-on-year increase of 3.5%. The Canary Islands were the main destination, attracting 40.2% of UK arrivals, followed by the Valencian Community and Andalusia. The Madrid region also recorded a notable increase of more than 18,000 additional passengers.

Mixed performance among European markets

Germany contributed 0.8 million passengers, representing 11.8% of total arrivals, but recorded a decline of 1.7% compared to the previous year. The decrease mainly affected the Canary Islands and Madrid. The Canary Islands remained the primary destination for German travellers, followed by the Balearic Islands and Catalonia.

Italy showed strong growth, with 772,296 passengers and an increase of 7.4%. Madrid and Catalonia together accounted for nearly 60% of these arrivals, while Valencia saw a significant rise of 18.7%.

France accounted for 7.4% of total arrivals and grew by 1.6%. Madrid and Catalonia remained the main destinations. The Netherlands, representing 4.4% of arrivals, declined by 4.7%, with most regions affected except the Canary Islands, which saw a modest increase.

Madrid leads regional growth

The six main autonomous communities accounted for 97.7% of total arrivals in February. All recorded growth except the Balearic Islands. Madrid posted the strongest increase at 7.9%, while the Canary Islands saw the most moderate growth at 2.1%.

Madrid-Barajas remains the busiest airport

Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport handled the highest number of passengers, with 1.9 million arrivals, up 7.9% year-on-year. Among Spain’s airports, Seville recorded the strongest growth, with an increase of 11.8%.