Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona-El Prat rank among Europe's busiest airports
In July 2026, Spain's two main hubs continued to climb the European airport ranking. Madrid-Barajas offered 3.66 million seats, an 8 % year‑on‑year rise, placing it sixth on the continent. Barcelona‑El Prat provided 3.34 million seats, up 6 %, ranking seventh.
The European leaderboard was led by Istanbul with 4.69 million seats (down 1 % from July 2025), followed by London‑Heathrow (4.49 million) and Paris‑Charles de Gaulle (4.05 million). Frankfurt and Amsterdam‑Schiphol completed the top five, each posting modest growth.
Madrid‑Barajas is only 163 000 seats behind fifth‑ranked Amsterdam‑Schiphol and holds about 320 000 more seats than Barcelona‑El Prat. Its 8 % growth was the second‑largest among the top ten European airports, exceeded only by Istanbul’s 9 % increase. The Spanish airports also featured in the global ranking, with Madrid‑Barajas entering the worldwide top ten for international capacity for the first time, ranking tenth with 2.76 million seats and a 7 % rise.
The data, supplied by aviation analytics firm OAG, highlights the growing prominence of Mediterranean hubs within Europe’s air‑traffic network.
Entities: Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport · Barcelona–El Prat Airport · OAG
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Madrid‑Barajas is 163,000 seats behind Amsterdam‑Schiphol (fifth) and has about 320,000 more seats than Barcelona‑El Prat. (OAG data)
- [● 3 SOURCES] In July 2026 Barcelona‑El Prat offered 3.34 million seats, a 6 % increase year‑on‑year, ranking seventh among European airports. (OAG data)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Rome‑Fiumicino ranked eighth with 3.14 million seats, a 5 % increase. (OAG data)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Istanbul Airport led the European ranking with 4.69 million seats, a 1 % decrease from July 2025. (OAG data)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Madrid‑Barajas' 8 % growth was the second‑largest among the top ten European airports, surpassed only by Istanbul's 9 % increase. (OAG data)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Madrid‑Barajas entered the global top ten for international capacity for the first time, ranking tenth worldwide with 2.76 million seats and a 7 % increase. (OAG data)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen ranked ninth with 2.82 million seats. (OAG data)
- [● 3 SOURCES] In July 2026 Madrid‑Barajas offered 3.66 million seats, an 8 % increase year‑on‑year, ranking sixth among European airports. (OAG data)