▶ Madrid-Barajas Airport Closes 2025 with Record Figures

Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport reported a historic performance in 2025, solidifying its role as one of the major strategic hubs of European commercial aviation and as a central pillar of Aena’s network. The year-end figures show absolute peaks in both passenger traffic and air cargo, within a context of growth clearly driven by international demand and freight transport.

Passenger Traffic: Solid Growth with Strong International Pull

Madrid-Barajas closed 2025 with 68,179,054 passengers, representing a year-on-year increase of 3%. Of this total, 68,062,534 corresponded to commercial flights, confirming nearly all traffic as regular and structural.

The most relevant figure once again lies in the international segment. International travelers reached 51,394,869, with 5.5% growth compared to 2024. In contrast, domestic traffic recorded 16,667,665 passengers, a decline of 4.2%, a trend that reinforces Barajas’s positioning as an intercontinental hub rather than a national point-to-point airport.

Air Operations: More Flights, with a Clear International Orientation

In parallel with passenger growth, the airport recorded 430,616 aircraft movements in 2025, representing a 2.5% increase from the previous year.

Of the 429,681 commercial operations, 303,232 were international flights, with a notable increase of 5.2%, while the 126,449 national flights fell by 3.5%. The pattern is consistent: fewer domestic frequencies and more international capacity and rotation, a clear signal of how airlines are adjusting their Madrid networks.

→ Heathrow Posts Record Figures in 2025, Strengthens Position as Europe’s Most Strategic Hub

Air Cargo: Madrid-Barajas, Aena’s Key Logistics Engine

One of the most strategic figures of the year is in cargo. In 2025, Madrid-Barajas handled 840,331 tons of freight, 9.6% more than in 2024. This figure not only marks a record but also represents just over 61% of all air cargo transported across Aena’s network in Spain.

This weight confirms Barajas as the country’s major logistics hub, far ahead of other airports in the network.

December 2025: The Best December in History

The last month of the year was no exception. December 2025 broke all historical records for that month in passengers, cargo, and operations.

Passengers: 5,636,640 (+3.2%), of which 4,317,602 were international (+7.1%) and 1,304,121 domestic (-8.1%).

Operations: 36,644 flights (+3.1%), with 26,287 international (+6.8%) and 10,266 national (-5.3%).

Cargo: 76,448 tons, with year-on-year growth of 8.9%.

Aena Group Network Also Hits Historical Highs

Madrid-Barajas’s performance is part of a record year for the Aena Group, which encompasses 46 airports and two heliports in Spain, London-Luton, and 17 airports in Brazil.

In 2025, the group handled:

384,837,183 passengers (+4.2%),

3,279,864 aircraft movements (+2.4%),

1,533,901 tons of freight (+7.9%).

In December alone, the group’s airports registered 27,929,791 passengers, 240,756 movements, and 137,236 tons of cargo, showing widespread growth compared to the same month in 2024.

Investments and Capacity: Great Challenge of the Coming Years

Aena confirms that it is finalizing investment plans for the coming years, aiming to guarantee the necessary operational capacity in the face of ever-growing traffic levels. The accumulated records in passengers and cargo increase pressure on existing infrastructure and anticipate ambitious expansion and remodeling projects.