Spanish News | Today
19 October 2026
Passenger numbers hit almost 9 million over the summer, with traffic on course to push the airport beyond 21 million for the year
A total of 8,929,405 passengers passed through the airport over the four months, an increase of 11.13% on the same period last year. For the first time, passenger numbers exceeded two million in each of June, July, August and September.
The growth comes as Alicante prepares for further airport development. Plans for a new boarding pier and a replacement General Aviation building have moved forward, with Aena beginning the process of acquiring more than 88,000 square metres of land in Elche.
The land acquisition process affects 25 plots, including property belonging to Elche’s Ayuntamiento and car rental company Aeroautos. Owners have a 15-working-day period to submit objections. No final compensation figures have yet been announced, and completing the acquisition could take at least a year.
The wider development programme for 2027 to 2031 is estimated at €1.154 billion and includes improvements to parking, access roads and aircraft taxiways. The terminal’s current surface area is expected to increase by almost 30%.
Construction of the main new facilities could still be some way off, with the first works potentially not beginning until 2028...
