Aena Plans Peak-Hour Constraints At Madrid, Barcelona | Aviation Week

Aena’s plan to introduce peak-hour constraints at Madrid Barajas and Barcelona El Prat is designed to better manage terminal capacity as passenger demand keeps rising. From the summer 2027 season, the airport operator will publish passenger capacity by terminal and by traffic type, rather than relying only on overall airport-level runway capacity. Aena says the approach is meant to avoid reducing terminal capacity, instead redistributing capacity within terminals and encouraging more growth during off-peak periods. The redistribution is intended to affect only airlines seeking to expand at specific times or months, while existing slot rights remain unchanged. The move aligns with Aena’s wider DORA 3 infrastructure strategy, including almost €10 billion ($11.4 billion) in regulated investment from 2027 to 2031, with about €4.5 billion earmarked for Madrid. Madrid handled 6 million passengers in May (+4.8%) and Barcelona 5.5 million (+6.4%).