Iberia Express is temporarily increasing capacity between Madrid and the Canary Islands during the visit of Pope León XIV to Spain in June 2026, adding eight flights and nearly 1,500 extra seats between 9 and 13 June.
The additional operation focuses on Gran Canaria and Tenerife. Two extra Madrid–Gran Canaria flights are scheduled for 9 and 10 June. Three extra Madrid–Tenerife flights will operate on 10 and 11 June, followed by three additional Tenerife–Madrid flights on 12 and 13 June. One-way fares for these services start at 48 euros.
The capacity increase is planned to meet higher demand linked to papal events in Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands, with large crowds expected in Gran Canaria and Tenerife. The timing of the extra flights is designed to cover the days immediately before, during and after the Pope’s presence in the archipelago.
This reinforcement comes on top of an already dense Iberia Express program to the Canary Islands for the summer season. The airline plans to operate up to 11 daily flights per direction with Gran Canaria, up to 13 with Tenerife (North and South combined), three with Lanzarote, three with Fuerteventura and two with La Palma, exceeding 400 weekly flights with the archipelago at peak season.