The PSOE and Sumar reignite the debate over short-haul flights, proposing that environmental aims could be met by more rail travel. Their agreement to form a progressive coalition government is stated with careful caveats. The plan would reduce short flights where a reliable train alternative exists within two and a half hours, yet the wording remains cautious and calibrated, leaving room for interpretation and negotiation.
Just like other European nations, the coalition partners say they will push to cut domestic flights on routes that have rail options under two and a half hours, with exceptions for connections to international hubs. The agreement published on Tuesday by President Pedro Sánchez and Vice President Yolanda Díaz explicitly references interconnections with international routes and keeps open the possibility of preserving certain links to major hubs.
Investment negotiators note the plan’s scope includes excluding Madrid and Barcelona airport routes from the flight reductions, aiming to safeguard hub connections that link Spain to global destinations. The objective is to preserve the competitiveness of Barajas and El Prat as international gateways while substantially trimming flights that would otherwise be affected by congestion.
Negotiate the details
The two parties acknowledge the need to negotiate the exact scope and intensity of any cuts. At present, there are sensitive debates about how deep the reductions should go and which routes qualify.
During the campaign, Sumar had floated a ban on flights where a train journey could be substituted in under three hours. With the current two-and-a-half-hour threshold, the measure would primarily affect Madrid-to-Valencia, Madrid-to-Alicante, Madrid-to-Seville routes, and certain promotional flights to Barcelona and Malaga. If the aim is to keep international connectivity robust, especially at Madrid Airport, the number of affected services would be small unless later legal clarifications broaden or narrow the scope.
Sumar signaled after the agreement that it would consider applying reductions to flights in specific cross-border corridors, such as the Madrid-Barcelona air bridge. However, sources close to the socialist negotiators point out that most train connections between the two capitals exceed two and a half hours, so the air bridge could be excluded from reductions.
The Ministry of Transport, led by Raquel Sánchez, is expected to commission a technical assessment on how flight reductions could impact Spain’s air market and the environmental benefits under the investment agreement. The study will explore connectivity, environmental implications, and other factors outlined in the text to understand the measure’s overall effect.
Officials say the ministry will examine the proposal within the framework already agreed and will compile a broad synthesis that captures potential connectivity and environmental outcomes. Negotiating teams emphasize that maintaining Madrid and Barcelona as international hubs is a priority in the talks and in the final agreement.
Airline reviews
Airlines have rejected outright the idea of flight vetoes and are advocating a shift toward intermodal transport, including high-speed rail lines that directly serve major airports to minimize the need for short-haul air routes.
The CEO of Iberia, Fernando Candelari, reacted to the proposal by arguing that reducing short-haul flights would leave some passengers with limited access to Madrid for long-haul connections. He noted that removing these short flights could prevent travelers from Valencia or Bilbao from routing via Madrid to reach destinations in the United States or Latin America, suggesting that people might instead choose other hubs across Europe such as Paris or Frankfurt.
The Airline Association (ALA) rejected flight bans and urged enhanced intermodality. It called for rail improvements that bring high-speed lines directly to Madrid and Barcelona, enabling seamless train-and-flight itineraries that would let passengers connect to farther destinations without depending on regional air links.
Over time, high-speed rail has grown in Spain, aided by liberalization and the entry of private operators like Iryo and Ouigo. Rail now commands a sizable share on several major routes, with Madrid-Barcelona leading the way, followed by Madrid-Valencia and routes to Alicante, Malaga, and Seville. Airlines argue that many passengers on these routes still fly to reach long-haul connections and that any shift should preserve convenient access to international networks while encouraging rail for shorter trips.