Alicante-Elche Airport is heading for a year end that looks set to make the record books. Between January and October it handled more than 17 million passengers.
Forecasts suggest it may reach 20 million by the end of the year. Each month has shown strong growth and the terminal has been busy throughout. During the high season it passed the two million passengers per month mark for the first time, which is impressive even by Costa Blanca standards.
The high season, which ran from late March to late October, delivered figures never seen before. The airport welcomed 13.5 million passengers and filled 92% of all available seats. That is 6.6% more travellers than in the same period in 2024. Flights also increased. Aena reported 83,361 operations which is 6.1% higher than last year.
Connectivity reached new heights. The airport offered 226 routes to 135 airports in 120 cities. Around thirty countries were connected to Alicante Elche during the season, which is a first for the airport.
International markets
The British market once again carried the most weight. International travellers accounted for more than 80% of all passengers. The United Kingdom led the way with 4.57 million travellers which is a rise of 6.7% compared with last year. Germany followed with 822,825 passengers and a notable increase of 10%.
The Netherlands recorded 787,682 passengers, which is an increase of 5.2%. Belgium also grew by 4.6%. France moved ahead of Poland with 632,434 passengers which is a rise of 9.5%. Poland however continued its strong progress and reached 627,110 travellers thanks to a new Ryanair route and more frequent flights. That is an increase of almost 20% compared with the 2024 high season.
The Scandinavian countries saw limited change. Norway exceeded 600,000 passengers but only increased by 2%. Sweden recorded 517,000 travellers which is a decline of 2%. Italy also showed a fall of 3%. At the other end, Algeria stood out with growth of 120%. Austria also performed well with a 64% rise due to two new Ryanair routes to Salzburg and Linz.
Alicante-Elche Airport: Main airports
Manchester remained the busiest connected airport. It recorded 632,535 passengers and offered more than twenty weekly services to the Costa Blanca. It was followed by London Gatwick with 589,582 passengers. Amsterdam reached 425,561. Brussels reached 354,035. Barcelona El Prat recorded 349,804 travellers.
Flights from English airports continue to dominate. In the list of the top ten airports linked to Alicante Elche, half are in England. London Stansted, Bristol and Birmingham join Manchester and Gatwick. Paris and Stockholm complete the top ten.
Most used airlines
Ryanair remains the leading airline at Alicante Elche. It carried 5.43 million passengers which is 40% of total traffic during the high season. The airline increased its numbers thanks to three new routes. EasyJet remained in second place and Vueling in third. EasyJet carried 1.73 million passengers which is 300,000 more than last year. Vueling also increased slightly and reached 1.38 million travellers.
Wizz Air enjoyed strong growth this season. Its new route to Belgrade helped it pass the half million passenger mark which is a rise of 35%. Jet2 also had a landmark year and passed one million passengers at Alicante Elche for the first time. Norwegian, Volotea and Transavia also reported increases although not on the same scale.
