Last week airlines like Ryanair reported a spike in demand for flights to destinations “closer to home” as a result of the Middle East conflict and bookings to the Balearics have increased by 17.3% last week compared to the same period last year and have risen by 3.1% compared to the previous week, according to data published on Monday by the booking platform Travelgate.
With 13.5% of all bookings, the Balearics remain the fourth most popular destination in Spain this week, behind Catalonia, which accounts for 18.4%; Andalusia, with 18%; and the Canary Islands, with 15.4%. Some 33.5% of this week’s bookings nationwide were made more than three months in advance; 15.5% between 31 and 60 days in advance; and 13.5% between 15 and 30 days before travel. Last-minute bookings (made the day before or on the day of travel) accounted for 8%.
Of the bookings recorded, 50.1% were made by couples and half of travellers (49.8%) booked between 2 and 5 nights. Spaniards lead the demand with 46.8% of tourist bookings made this week, followed by the British (24.5%) and Germans (4.2%). EFEL Airlines schedule 9.9 million seats to Spain for March, signalling strong demand after the pandemic.
And according to the the latest capacity update from Turespaña, airlines have scheduled 9.9 million seats to Spain this month, an increase of 5.4% compared to March 2025 and very close to the all-time high reached in 2019. Britain leads year-on-year growth with 7.1%, followed by Germany (6.3%) and the United States (5.9%). This increase comes despite concerns about the potential impact of the upcoming Entry/Exit System on airport flow. Aena has deployed 450 additional border police officers and opened two new satellite terminals in Palma and Malaga to absorb the Easter holiday peaks.
At the same time, business travellers should remember that seat availability is only part of the equation; having the proper immigration documentation is equally crucial. VisaHQ can expedite Spanish visa processing for corporate employees and their families through its online portal, which offers step-by-step guidance, professional document review and courier services when required. More information at https://www.visahq.com/spain/
For relocation teams, the figures confirm the limited seat availability on key corporate routes such as London-Madrid and Frankfurt-Barcelona. Advance bookings and flexible fares will be essential to secure last-minute travel for assigned employees. In addition, higher load factors could push average ticket prices up by 3-5% compared to the previous quarter, according to ForwardKeys data.
Tourism Ministry officials interpret this data as a sign that Spain remains a preferred destination for remote workers and business travellers, despite geopolitical tensions and rising inflation in other parts of Europe. If demand remains strong during the second quarter, Spanish airport authority Aena plans to restore pre-pandemic night-time schedules at Madrid-Barajas, which would increase cargo capacity for multinationals operating just-in-time supply chains.