Airlines limit to 1.9% the increase in the offer of seats in winter at Barcelona airport
Madrid-Barajas registers a 10% rise in a context in which the average of seats across the whole network grows by 5.5%
BarcelonaAirlines have planned a 1.9% increase in seat supply for this winter at Barcelona airport, below the average for the entire network (5.5%) and that of Madrid-Barajas (10%), according to data from the employers' association Airline Association (ALA). Over the last two years, the airport facilities of the Catalan capital exceeded their theoretical capacity of 55 million passengers, and in the current fiscal year they are on track to do so again. In total, the supply of seats on planes at all Spanish airports will be 145.6 million in the winter season, from this month of October until March of next year.
However, the employers' association, which accounts for around 85% of air traffic in Spain, does not rule out adjustments to the schedule due to the high level of geopolitical uncertainty and rising fuel costs. The president of this organization, Javier Gándara, warned in a press conference that the situation is "drastically" reducing airline profit margins globally, without there being "visibility on how long" the situation will last. Currently, major airlines maintain between 60% and 80% coverage on the price of kerosene for the winter season.
In addition to Madrid, the Balearic Islands and Andalusia are recording increases in seat supply of over 4%, and the Canary Islands remain flat. The summer campaign closed with almost 192 million passengers, an increase of 4.4%, and the number of flights, 1.35 million, grew by 4.7%.
The employers' association anticipates a new historical record in passenger movement this year. During the first nine months of the fiscal year, 257 million passengers have been reached, with an increase of 4.1%. Looking ahead to next summer, Gándara states that the uncertainty is "maximum" and has recalled challenges for the aviation sector, such as the review of the European Union Emissions Trading System (ETS). In this sense, he has demanded that the extra cost associated with the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), the price of which is 3 to 8 times that of conventional fuel, be taken into account.
