Madrid (MAD) Airport & Passenger Statistics 2025

Page Last Updated: 4 March 2026

Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport is Spain’s main aviation hub and one of Europe’s major intercontinental airports. It handles more than 60 million passengers annually and is the continent’s main bridge to Latin America.

Overview

How many passengers pass through Madrid Airport each year?

Madrid Airport handles over 60 million passengers each year and is ranked among Europe’s fastest-growing major airline hubs.

The airport processed 68.2 million passengers in 2025. This was a 3.0% increase YoY and a new all-time record. Traffic surpassed the pre-pandemic level of 61.7 million passengers in 2019 by 10.5%.
Passenger traffic had dropped to 17.1 million in 2020, a 72.3% decline YoY caused by the pandemic and recovered gradually to 24.1 million in 2021.
Growth continued in 2022 with 50.6 million passengers, followed by 60.2 million in 2023.

Domestic vs International Passengers

Madrid Airport has a strong international profile; nearly three-quarters of all travelers fly internationally.

In 2025, 51.5 million international passengers passed through the airport, representing 75.5% of total traffic.
Domestic travelers totaled 16.7 million, making up the remaining 24.5%.

Passenger Demographics

In 2025, travelers aged 30 to 49 accounted for 41% of all passengers.
15 to 29 year-olds made up 28%, while the 50 to 64 group represented 20%.
Children under 15 comprised 4% and travelers over 64 made up 7%.
In terms of gender, 48% were male and 52% were female.

Aircraft Operations at Madrid Airport Each Year

Madrid Airport handles over 400,000 aircraft operations annually, including both takeoffs and landings.

In 2025, there were 430,616 operations, a 2.5% YoY increase from 420,182 operations in 2024.
The pre-pandemic high in 2019 was 426,376 operations, indicating 2025 figures surpassed previous highs by 1.0%.
Operations dropped to 165,740 in 2020 during the pandemic.
Recovery followed with 217,539 in 2021, 351,906 in 2022 and 389,179 in 2023.

Which airlines operate the most flights out of Madrid Airport?

Iberia was the top airline in 2025, serving 18.59 million passengers and holding a 27% market share.
Air Europa followed with 11.27 million passengers (17%), and Ryanair carried 7.41 million passengers (11%).
Iberia Express ranked fourth with 6.69 million passengers (10%), and Air Nostrum was fifth with 4.22 million passengers (6%).

Monthly Trends in Passenger Traffic at Madrid Airport

Madrid Airport shows seasonal patterns and peak traffic is in summer months.

July and August were the busiest months in 2025, each with 6.2 million passengers.
October followed with 6.0 million passengers, preceded by September with 5.9 million passengers.
The slowest months were January (5.2 million) and February (4.8 million).

Passenger Traffic at Madrid Airport by Travel Purpose

In 2025, 60% of passengers flying from Madrid Airport traveled for holidays.
Business travel made up 19%, while Visiting friends and relatives represented 14%.
The remaining 7% of passengers flew for other purposes.

How many routes are there at Madrid Airport?

Madrid Airport served 447 routes in 2025, a notable YoY increase of 29 routes from the 418 offered in 2023.
The airport served 377 international routes and 70 domestic routes.
Among the international routes, 210 were to Europe, 99 to the Americas, 42 to Africa, and 26 to the Middle East and Asia.

Which destinations are the most popular from Madrid Airport?

Palma de Mallorca recorded the highest passenger volume in 2025 with 2.2 million travelers.
Rome FCO handled 2 million passengers.
Lisbon and Gran Canaria each saw 1.9 million passengers.
Tenerife Norte CL and JT Barcelona– EL Prat followed closely, handling 1.8 million passengers.

Car Rental in Spain

How much cargo does Madrid Airport handle annually?

Madrid Airport handles over 500,000 tonnes of cargo annually.

The airport processed 840,331 tonnes in 2025, up 9.6% from 766,818 tonnes in 2024.
Before the pandemic, 558,567 tonnes were handled in 2019.
Cargo volume dropped to 401,133 tonnes in 2020, then recovered to 523,480 in 2021.
The volume further increased to 566,373 in 2022 and 643,534 in 2023.

Notable Incidents at Madrid Airport

Avianca Flight 011 (Nov 27, 1983): A Boeing 747-200 crashed during approach, killing 181 people. The incident led to the advancement of Ground Proximity Warning Systems.
Madrid Runway Collision (Dec 7, 1983): An Iberia 727 collided with an Aviaco DC-9 in fog, resulting in 93 deaths and prompting safety improvements in ground operations.
ETA Bombing (Dec 30, 2006): A car bomb at Terminal 4 caused a structural collapse and killed 2 people, leading to enhanced airport security.
Spanair Flight 5022 (Aug 20, 2008): A McDonnell Douglas MD-82 crashed on takeoff due to a flap configuration error, killing 154 passengers, raising concerns over system warnings.

Madrid Airport Fast Facts

Madrid airport was the largest gateway to Latin America in Europe in 2024 with 31% of market share.
Madrid airport is ranked 4th among the EU+UK airports according to ACI Europe Statistics in 2023.
Total Area: 4,000 ha
Terminal buildings area: 940,000 m2
Terminals: T1, T2, T3, T4, T4S and BA&GA terminal
Apron: 3,000,000 m²
Aircraft parking stands: 340
Boarding jetways: 121
Runways: 4
- Runway 18L/36R: 3,500 x 60 m
- Runway 18R/36L: 4,179 x 60 m
- Runway 14L/32R: 3,500 x 60 m
- Runway 14R/32L: 3,988 x 60 m
Boarding gates: 228
Check-in counters: 396
Self-service kiosk: 92

Other Airport Statistics

Spain Travel Statistics Resources

References

AENA: Adolfo Suárez Madrid Airport data
ASN: Notable Incidents at Madrid Airport