If you are flying in or out of the Costa Blanca this weekend, Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport is going to be busy.
The airport has 1,779 arrivals and departures scheduled between Friday, August 28 and Monday, August 31. That is 12% more than during the equivalent end-of-August weekend in 2025.
The figures provide another indication of just how busy the Costa Blanca tourism season has been this year. They also put the airport on course for another record-breaking year.
Nearly 1,800 flights in four days
Saturday, August 29 is expected to be the busiest day, with 488 flights scheduled. The equivalent Saturday last year recorded 455.
Friday has 435 scheduled flights, compared with 392 last year. Sunday will see 425 flights, up from 365, while Monday has 431 scheduled, compared with 365 in 2025.
The four-day total of 1,779 flights compares with 1,587 during the same period last year.
The increase is particularly notable because this weekend marks the traditional end-of-summer return period, when many people head home after their August holidays.
Airport passenger numbers continue to climb
The latest passenger figures also point towards another big year for the Costa Blanca’s main airport.
Alicante-Elche handled 12.5 million passengers between January and the end of July. That represents an increase of 9.6% compared with the same period in 2025.
Last year, the airport handled a record 19.9 million passengers.
If the current rate of growth continued until December, the 2026 total could reach almost 21.9 million passengers. However, that remains a projection rather than a confirmed forecast.
September and October will play an important part in the final figure, as both remain busy months for Costa Blanca tourism.
The airport has also seen stronger traffic outside the traditional summer season. In 2025, passenger numbers remained above one million a month during both November and December.
Plans to increase airport capacity
The continued growth comes as Aena prepares to expand Alicante-Elche Airport.
The planned work aims to increase the airport’s capacity to at least 26 million passengers a year.
A second runway is not currently part of those plans. Transport Minister Óscar Puente recently ruled out that option.
For now, however, the immediate focus is on another busy weekend at El Altet, with thousands of Costa Blanca residents and visitors expected to pass through the terminal as August comes to an end.
Bridging the Gap’s recap
- 1,779 flights are scheduled from Friday, August 28 to Monday, August 31
- That is 12% more than the equivalent weekend in 2025
- Saturday is expected to be busiest, with 488 flights
- Alicante-Elche Airport handled 12.5 million passengers from January to July
- Passenger numbers are running 9.6% ahead of the same period last year
- The airport handled a record 19.9 million passengers in 2025
- Continuing growth could take the 2026 total close to 21.9 million
- Expansion plans aim to increase annual airport capacity to at least 26 million passengers
