France’s approach to banning short domestic flights in favor of train journeys under 2.5 hours has stirred concern in the Spanish air sector, where Iberia, the largest player in Spain’s domestic market, argues for protecting all core domestic routes. The airline contends that keeping these links is essential until high-speed rail expansion proves sufficient to connect Madrid-Barajas with key destinations.
In Spain, a France-like ban could threaten the futures of five major routes linking Madrid with Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, Malaga, and Seville. The potential impact would touch roughly 33,000 flights and about 3.2 million passengers annually. Iberia, alongside the consulting firm PwC, has developed a study estimating the multimillion-dollar consequences of removing these routes on aviation, tourism, and the wider Spanish economy.
Eliminating these paths would reduce Spain’s GDP by about 329 million euros and could lead to the layoff of nearly 6,000 workers across aviation and tourism. The study on the five routes notes that for every million passengers flown domestically, 102 million euros of GDP and about 1,850 full-time jobs are created. This is the kind of macroeconomic footprint policymakers would need to weigh in any future decisions.
IAG, the holding company that houses Vueling, British Airways, Aer Lingus and Level, emphasizes how critical the domestic network is for feeding Madrid-Barajas as a major interconnection hub for international flights and to secure connectivity across all Spanish regions with Europe and Latin America. Around 40 percent of Barajas passengers are on connections to other destinations, underscoring the airport’s role in a broader network.
Connect the train with Barajas
The government and rail infrastructure manager Adif are advancing a project to bring high-speed trains to Madrid airport, aiming to begin service around 2026. In Europe, other major air hubs such as Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt already feature broad links between airports and national high-speed rail networks, a precedent Iberia points to as it argues for a robust intermodal connection that truly enhances mobility.
Iberia has argued for years that simply having an intermodal link is not enough; the real goal is to ensure that the rail and air networks complement each other. The airline suggests that eight to ten trains per hour through Barajas would be necessary to shift traffic patterns effectively. Such frequency would be difficult to sustain beyond 2030, given the current pace of network expansion and demand projections.
By 2026, when high-speed service is expected to reach Barajas—initially with limited Cercanías connections—the short-term offering is likely to be one or two trains per hour. That level of service would not, on its own, meet all capacity needs and could fall short of fully replacing short-haul flights. Iberia acknowledges that Spain has not faced substantial political pressure to eliminate these routes, and it argues for maintaining them to preserve national connectivity.
European Recovery funds are viewed by Iberia as supporting aviation and tourism in two meaningful ways: first, by turning intermodality into a real option that links rail and airports; second, by encouraging the development and use of sustainable aviation fuels to replace fossil fuels. This dual approach would help ensure both better mobility and lower environmental impact in the sector.
Train-plane competition
In Spain, high-speed rail has not merely siphoned passengers from air travel; it has evolved into a serious competitor, aided by new private operators such as Iryo and Ouigo, which challenge Renfe and its AVE and Avlo brands. On the five routes most affected, rail captured a growing share of passengers in recent years, rising from about 37% in 2007 to around 77% in 2019, while air frequencies on longer routes contracted by an average of 64% in that period. The shift illustrates how rail and air compete for longer-distance, time-sensitive travelers.
What matters now, according to Iberia, is to find the most efficient mix for passengers traveling through Barajas. It’s not simply a question of swapping planes for trains; it’s about letting the train handle certain journeys while the plane takes on others. If Barajas can welcome eight to ten train frequencies per hour, these extra rail connections could free up aircraft for other European destinations and, in turn, improve connectivity across Spain, according to Juan Cierco, Iberia’s corporate director, who spoke to the press.
Ultimately, the balance between train and plane will shape how quickly and smoothly Spain can maintain its transport links while pursuing environmental and economic goals. The conversation is about smart intermodality that preserves regional access and preserves jobs, all while aligning with broader European objectives for sustainable mobility and competitive air travel in a changing continental market.