Latin America and Spain record strong air passenger growth in 2026

In May 2026, passenger traffic in Latin America and the Caribbean rose 2.7% year‑on‑year to 38.7 million, driven by domestic and intra‑regional flights. Panama posted the highest growth at 15.7%, while traffic between the region and the United States fell for the third consecutive month.

Spain’s airport network continued its post‑pandemic expansion, handling 156.24 million passengers in the first half of 2026, a 3.7% increase over the same period a year earlier. Madrid‑Barajas alone saw 6.08 million passengers in June, up 4.5%, and the Aena group reported a 3.8% rise in June traffic across its facilities.

Argentina’s civil aviation authority reported a record 24.57 million passengers in the first half of the year, a 1% increase over 2025, boosted by open‑sky policies and new international routes. Other individual airports posted notable gains: Valencia (Spain) logged 1.174 million passengers in June, a rise of 8.8% year‑on‑year; Elche (Spain) surpassed 10 million passengers in the first half, up 9.3%; and the Region of Murcia International Airport (Corvera) grew 10.7% to 447 402 passengers in the same period.

Overall, the data show a resilient and expanding air travel market across the Americas and Europe, with domestic and regional routes leading growth while long‑haul traffic to the United States remains subdued.