The airports in Aena’s network began to recover traffic towards the end of June. Operations have gradually increased from an average of between 200 and 300 flights per day in early May to 400 at the beginning of June and over 1,000 at the end of the month. By the beginning of July, these figures had already doubled to more than 2,000 operations per day.
The airlines began to step up their operations in June and this has become more apparent as of July. This change reflects an improvement in traffic expectations for the peak summer months in keeping with the end of travel restrictions in Spain and the arrival of passengers from abroad.
Aena’s network closed June with 43,640 aircraft movements, 80.7% less than in the same month last year; 45,237 tons of freight, 41.4% less, and 1,053,780 passengers, 96.1% less. These figures reflect the stoppage of travel by people to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in force until 21 June.
Out of the total number of passengers registered in June, 1,034,608 were commercial passengers with 717,038 on domestic flights, 91% less than in June 2019, and 317,570 on international routes, down by 98.4%.
In June, Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport had the highest number of passengers in the network at 194,734 travellers, which is a 96.5% decrease compared to the same month in 2019. It is followed by Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat, with 148,903 (-97.1%); Palma de Mallorca, with 127,555 (-96.7%); Gran Canaria, with 106,541 (-89.1%), and Tenerife Norte-Ciudad de la Laguna, with 99,703 (-80.6%).
In terms of the number of operations, the airports which posted the highest number of movements in June were ones with mainly non-commercial flights such as Madrid-Cuatro Vientos with 4,693 operations; Sabadell with 4,163, and Jerez with 2,661. As for airports operating commercial flights, the one with the highest number of movements in June was Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas with a total of 3,747 (-90.1%), followed by Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat with 2,753 flights (-91.4%); Gran Canaria with 2,382 (-74.8%); Palma de Mallorca with 2,286 (-91.3%), and Tenerife Norte-Ciudad de La Laguna with 1,980 (-68.6%).
More than 1,300 essential medical supplies and repatriation flights
Right from the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, Aena has focused its efforts on operating essential flights to ensure the flow of medical supplies and products to meet people’s needs along with enabling Spaniards to come back from abroad and non-resident foreigners to leave for their home countries. To this end, the airports in Aena’s network have operated around 1,340 essential flights over the state of emergency period.
Some 750 of these flights have been for Spaniards coming back and foreigners departing, thus enabling thousands of people to return home, while over 590 cargo flights have brought in key medical supplies to deal with the pandemic.
As far as goods are concerned, 45,237 tons of freight were handled throughout the network in June, 41.4% less than in the same month in 2019 due to the fact that a very significant part of regular freight is carried in commercial passenger planes.
The four airports with the highest freight traffic were Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas with 22,992 tons (-47.8%); Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat with 6,837 tons (-49.3%); Zaragoza with 5,566 tons (-25.1%), and Vitoria with 5,083 tons (-6.1%).
Operational recovery and health checks
Following the end of the state of emergency and the lifting of travel restrictions, Aena is now addressing the operational recovery of its airports and ensuring the safety of passengers and employees. It is doing this in coordination with the Spanish government’s health and transport authorities and also with EU member states and the international airport (ACI) and airline (IATA) associations.
Aena has already implemented in its 46 airports and two heliports in Spain all the recommendations on cleaning, safety distances, hygiene and communication from the EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) and the ECDC (European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention) which have been converted into regulations in Spain.
Since 15 May, the Ministry of Health’s Border Health service has been carrying out health checks on passengers arriving from abroad. These checks were first stepped up on 21 June with the opening of borders with the EU and the Schengen Area and then in July when they were also opened to some third countries.
Aena is supporting the Ministry of Health in carrying out these controls with human and technological resources. In the former case, two companies are providing medical staff and backup support services at all airports. The cost of these services, which have increased staff numbers by more than 1,000 people, comes to almost €20 million. In the latter, it involves the installation of thermographic cameras which make it possible to take the temperature of passengers in a seamless and barely noticeable way and also the technological development of the PLC (Passenger Location Card).
The health controls put in place feature three safety filters: temperature recording; a document check (PLC) based on statutory declarations including health and contact information which allows traceability and monitoring by Spain’s regional authorities; and finally a visual inspection. Suspected cases also go through a secondary control where healthcare professionals assess the passenger’s clinical and epidemiological status.
The ultimate purpose of all the measures taken at the airports is protection and confidence-building so as to recover traffic safely and encourage travel, tourism and economic activity.