Aena reports recovery in passenger traffic at Valladolid and Jerez airports, one year after Ryanair ceased operations at both facilities.
In April, Valladolid handled 12,073 passengers, marking a 71.3% increase from the previous year. The airport lost 60-70% of its traffic following Ryanair’s departure on March 28, 2025, including 65,000 passengers over five months. Vueling resumed Barcelona-Valladolid flights on October 28 with three weekly frequencies, accounting for 48.5% of April’s traffic. Binter added two weekly flights. Year-to-date, Valladolid has served 32,498 passengers, up 7.3%. Other carriers like Iberia, Air Nostrum, and Binter continue operations.
Jerez recorded 79,921 passengers in April, a 21.2% rise after a 25.2% drop the prior year. Year-to-date figures show 209,758 passengers, up 10.8%. Domestic routes to Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca drove growth, alongside international links to Germany and the UK. Up to 15 airlines now operate there, including new entrants Jet2.com to Birmingham, Leeds, and Manchester since May 2025, Icelandair, Chair Airlines, and expanded Vueling services, up 11.7% in April.
Ryanair’s exit stemmed from disputes over Aena’s high fees and lack of incentives at regional airports. The carrier has since cut three million seats across Spain in 18 months, shifting capacity to major hubs while closing bases at Valladolid and Jerez for winter 2025 and reducing operations elsewhere.