Spain has one of the largest airport networks in Europe: almost every airport is run by the state-owned company Aena, and in 2024 together they handled more than 300 million passengers. Besides the two big hubs of Madrid and Barcelona, there are the island airports, among the busiest in the Mediterranean in summer, and a dense network of regional airports that makes it easy to fly direct to almost anywhere.
Madrid and Barcelona
Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez (MAD) is the country's main airport and the leading air bridge between Europe and Latin America. Terminal 4, designed by Richard Rogers, is famous for its undulating bamboo ceilings. Barcelona-El Prat Josep Tarradellas (BCN) is the second, with flights from all over Europe and heavy tourist traffic all year round. For links with the centre see our guides from Madrid airport to the centre and from Barcelona airport to the centre.
The islands
The Balearic Islands have three airports: Palma de Mallorca, one of the busiest in Europe in summer, Ibiza and Menorca. Formentera has no airport and is reached by ferry from Ibiza. The Canary Islands have eight airports: the busiest are Gran Canaria, Tenerife South, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, while Tenerife North is used mainly for domestic flights. Remember that the Canaries are one hour behind mainland Spain.
The rest of Spain
On the Mediterranean coast the main airports are Málaga, gateway to the Costa del Sol, Alicante for the Costa Blanca, Valencia and Murcia. Andalusia also has Seville, Granada, Jerez and Almería. In the north, Bilbao, Santander, Asturias, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña and Vigo serve green, Atlantic Spain. Inland, Zaragoza is mainly a cargo airport, while in Catalonia Girona and Reus receive many low-cost flights.
Airports with their own website
Some airports have a dedicated website (in Italian), with flight board, transport and services: aeroportodimadrid.com, aeroportodibarcellona.com, aeroportodigirona.com, aeroportodisiviglia.com and aeroportodivalencia.com.
Individual airport guides
For each airport you will find the live arrivals and departures board, the radar of aircraft in flight and connections with the city: Zaragoza Airport (ZAZ), Reus Airport (REU), Málaga Airport (AGP), Alicante Airport (ALC), Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI), Ibiza Airport (IBZ), Menorca Airport (MAH), Bilbao Airport (BIO), Santiago de Compostela Airport (SCQ), Tenerife South Airport (TFS), Tenerife North Airport (TFN), Gran Canaria Airport (LPA), Lanzarote Airport (ACE), Fuerteventura Airport (FUE), Granada Airport (GRX), Murcia Airport (RMU), Santander Airport (SDR), Asturias Airport (OVD), Vigo Airport (VGO), A Coruña Airport (LCG), Jerez Airport (XRY), Almería Airport (LEI).
Tips
- Choosing the airport: for the Costa Brava Girona is often best, for the Costa Daurada Reus, for the Costa del Sol Málaga and for the Costa Blanca Alicante.
- Trains: Madrid, Málaga and Jerez have railway stations linked to the terminal, and high-speed trains leave Madrid for all of Spain.
- Parking: car parks can be booked online on the Aena website, at lower prices than on the spot.
See also getting to and around Spain.