The Aena network carried a substantial traffic volume in July 2022, marking a solid recovery in air travel. The month closed with 27,067,913 passengers, reflecting a return to 92% of the traffic levels recorded in July 2019, based on estimates from the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda that tracked activity before the pandemic.
During July, 230,542 aircraft movements were recorded, signaling a 95.7% recovery relative to July 2019. Freight activity showed resilience as well, with 79,906 tons of cargo moved, a 9.7% decline from the same month in 2019 but still demonstrating the sustained role of air cargo in supply chains.
Among the passenger mix, international travelers accounted for a large share of the July traffic, totaling 18.24 million passengers. This international segment was 12.3% below July 2019 levels, while domestic travel rose to 8.75 million passengers, surpassing pre-pandemic activity by 2.6% in that segment.
Looking at the first seven months of 2022 as a whole, passenger traffic improved by 83.9% compared with the same period in 2019, underscoring a meaningful rebound in travel demand as restrictions eased and travel resumed in the early months of the year.
From January to July 2022, the Aena network served 132 million passengers, with 1,254,204 aircraft movements recorded, which is 8.2% below 2019 levels. Cargo tonnage for this period reached 573,481 tons, a 2.5% decrease versus the first seven months of 2019, reflecting ongoing adjustments in freight flows alongside a recovering passenger market.
Within July 2022 data, Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport stood out with the highest monthly passenger total of 5,025,214, which was 15.5% lower than July 2019. Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat followed closely with 4,431,648 passengers, down 17.3% from the previous year, while Palma de Mallorca recorded 4,132,434 travelers, reporting a 1.8% drop relative to pre-pandemic July figures.
In terms of flight operations, Madrid-Barajas led the month with 32,411 operations, down 16.8% from July 2019. Palma de Mallorca handled 29,171 movements (down 1.6%), and El Prat registered 28,262 flights, a 15% decrease from the year before.
Freight performance highlighted Barajas as the leading cargo hub for the month, with 45,019 tons moved, a 3% decline. El Prat shipped 14,524 tons (7.8% down), Zaragoza moved 7,669 tons (40.2% below 2019), and Vitoria reported 6,211 tons, a modest 1% decrease from the prior year.