Record air passenger traffic in Argentina and Spain, Jan‑May 2026

Argentina’s civil aviation authority reported that 21.4 million passengers flew through the country’s airports between January and May 2026, a 3 % increase over the previous record year and the strongest cumulative performance for that period. The rise was driven mainly by international routes and expanded connectivity from regional airports.

In Spain, Aena said its airports handled 124.6 million passengers over the same five‑month span, up 3.7 % year‑on‑year. Growth slowed compared with the 4.7 % rise recorded in 2025, reflecting a post‑COVID normalisation and temporary factors such as geopolitical tension in the Middle East and a shift of travellers after a January high‑speed rail accident. Madrid‑Barajas remained the busiest hub, while airports such as Alicante and Valencia posted the highest relative gains.