Fewer flights planned for the Canary Islands this Summer

Airlines are planning fewer seats to the Canary Islands for the summer 2026 season, with a reported drop of 2.5% compared to last year, according to the Airlines Association (ALA). The reduction follows a particularly strong increase in capacity during 2025, which industry figures say has led to a natural adjustment this year.

Across Spain as a whole, however, the outlook remains positive. Airlines have scheduled a 5.7% increase in seats, reaching a total of around 260 million, despite ongoing challenges linked to the situation in the Middle East.

Passenger Numbers Still Rising

So far this year, air traffic has continued to grow steadily. A total of 65.63 million passengers have travelled by air, marking a 3.2% increase compared to the same period last year.

Javier Gándara said airlines are approaching the summer season “with optimism”, but warned that figures should be viewed “with caution” due to rising fuel costs and wider economic uncertainty.

He also noted that these figures reflect planned airline capacity, meaning it will only become clear at the end of the season how many seats are actually filled by passengers.

New Border System Raises Concerns

Gándara also addressed the introduction of the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System, which requires additional passenger data checks for travellers arriving from outside the Schengen area.

He has called for the system to be implemented with sufficient flexibility to avoid long queues or passengers missing flights, particularly during the busy summer period.

The changes are expected to have the greatest impact at Spanish airports where British travellers represent the largest group of international visitors, such as the Canary Islands.

Airlines are working closely with the Ministry of the Interior and Aena to ensure clear signage and support staff are in place, helping passengers understand the new procedures.

“Hopefully the impact this summer will be minimal,” Gándara added.

Regional Differences Across Spain

Growth is uneven across different regions. Some of the strongest increases in scheduled seats are at airports such as Almería (+22%), Jerez (+15%) and Alicante (+14%).

By region, Andalucía is seeing a 9.8% rise, while the Balearic Islands are up 2.6%. In contrast, the Canary Islands show a slight drop of 2.5% following last year’s sharp growth.

Among Spain’s largest airports, Madrid-Barajas is up 8%, while Barcelona-El Prat has increased by 7.6%.