Meet The Winners: Madrid Airport

Speaking during Routes Europe 2025, Madrid Airport told Routes about its recent route successes and what it meant to be crowned the winner of the Over 20 Million Passenger category at the Routes Awards.

Madrid Airport (MAD), managed by Aena, reached record-breaking traffic in 2024, growing by 10% to 66 million passengers. Aena also recorded a new record across its Spanish airports reaching over 309 million passengers.

2024 welcomed 39 new route launches and enhanced services for MAD. Across Europe, the airport enhanced its connectivity to destinations such as Athens, Brussels, Faro, Lyon, Prague, Venice, and Verona. Last year also saw multiple successes on its long-haul network with the additions of Bangkok, Bogota, Montreal, Santiago, Shenzhen, Tokyo and more.

MAD’s strategy focuses on identifying opportunities in short and long-haul markets through a robust ecosystem of data sources. By implementing these into its bespoke market intelligence tool, the airport supplies quality data to its airline partners.

MAD told Routes that the data highlighted Asia as a particular region of focus with Ignacio Biosca, CDO and airline market director at Aena, adding: “We’re looking at that area of the world to see if we can further develop the network in Spain. We have a wonderful connectivity level with Latin America, where we gather more than 30% of the total market share between Europe and Latin America. We want to develop Asia because we are very well placed to connect Asia with Latin America.”

Recent successes across the target region include Iberia’s service resumption between Madrid and Tokyo’s Narita International Airport (NRT) in 2024, which was last operated in 2020, and Sichuan Airlines commencing nonstop flights between Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU) and MAD in April 2025. Air China has also relaunched its Beijing to Havana, Cuba, route with a stopover in MAD, providing China with a one-stop connection to Latin America.

The airport’s year-round communications with airlines; tailored incentive schemes and marketing efforts has led to its recognition as the Over 20 Million Passenger category winner at the Routes Awards in Seville. Biosca said: “It meant a lot for our team who have worked very hard for a number of years and it’s a recognition of their work by the airlines. Many of the people who represent the airlines we meet are more than partners, they are friends.”

A member of Aena’s route development team was unable to attend Routes Europe due to receiving treatment in hospital. Biosca added: “Emotionally it is even more important. We share this award with Caroline.”

With Seville Airport also managed by Aena, the region’s airlines were able to experience the best of the city during Routes Europe 2025. Biosca added: “A lot of the airlines who were not familiar with Seville have seen what the city has to offer. Even though we have some clouds due to global issues, I see optimism in this sector. We have faced very difficult situations in the past and we have been able to overcome them. On this occasion, working together hand in hand with destinations, airlines and airports, we will be able to succeed again no matter the turbulence we face.”