Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport is flying higher than ever as passenger numbers continue to soar.
This summer is officially the busiest in the airport’s history. With 30 airlines in operation, travellers have access to over 14.7 million seats, spread across 226 routes to 120 cities in 30 countries.
But the growth doesn’t stop there. Plans are already in motion for the autumn/winter season, including the long-awaited return of a key domestic connection: Alicante to Santander.
Starting this October, Vueling will operate two weekly flights between Alicante and Santander, restoring a direct link between the Mediterranean and the Cantabrian Sea.
This route reconnects Alicante with Cantabria’s Seve Ballesteros Airport, a service that had been dropped in January after Ryanair pulled out amid a dispute with Aena. The Irish carrier criticised what it called “excessive charges at Spanish regional airports,” a disagreement reminiscent of its earlier spat with Aena in 2011, when it objected to the mandatory use of boarding walkways at the newly opened terminal.
For Cantabria, the reinstatement is more than welcome. Regional president María José Sáenz de Buruaga highlighted its importance, especially “for the elderly and those with time to enjoy travelling.”
