Airlines summer schedules for Balearic airports represent a total of 46.2 million seats, an increase of 17.1% over last year. The summer season, defined as running from 25 March to 27 October, will involve around 268,000 flights, a rise of almost sixteen per cent. The Spanish airports authority Aena reports that there will be 622 routes, 45 more than in 2017.
For Palma, the airlines have programmed 33.3 million seats, an increase of 21.5%. By markets, Germany has the most - a provisional amount of 12.9 million, up by 38.9%. Aena notes that this figure is due to decrease because not all adjustments have been finalised in respect of flights previously operated by Niki. For the UK market, there are almost six million seats, an increase of 2.5%. For the domestic Spanish market, there are just over 5.9 million, up by 12.8%. The number of flights is put at around 188,500 - 20% more than last year. There will be 38 more routes, making a total of 386.
For Ibiza airport, there is an increase of 8.7% in the number of seats to over 9.1 million. The Spanish market claims the most - 3.2 million, up by 13% - followed by the UK with 2.3 million (a 2.2% rise). For Minorca, the total is up 4.2% to more than 3.7 million seats. There are 1.6 million for the Spanish market, a rise of 4.2, and a 1.1% increase for the UK market to 1.2 million. There are notable increases for Italian and German flights. Respectively, these are up 14.2% and 13.2% to more than 300,000 and 177,000 seats.
For Spain as a whole, there is a 10.5% increase to 222.5 million seats. At Madrid and Barcelona there are rises of nine per cent to, respectively, 44.2 million and 41.7 million seats. Palma, as is always the case, ranks third. Malaga-Costa del Sol has 4.7% more (16.1 million), Alicante-Elche goes up three per cent to 11.5 million. Gran Canaria has an increase of 14% to 9.6 million. In terms of foreign flights, the UK market is scheduled to have more than 37.5 million seats, a slight decrease of 0.6% on account of a Brexit effect and the collapse of Monarch Airlines. The German market, the second largest, has around 30 million seats, a rise of 22%.
* It should be pointed out that these are figures for flights to and from airports.