Alicante-Elche handled a record 19.95 million passengers in 2025 (+8.5%) and is growing even faster in 2026 — up 8% in the first four months. With 88% of traffic international and airlines adding routes for summer 2026, the Costa Blanca is more connected than ever — which underpins property demand, year-round rental potential and easy access for second-home owners and relocators.
Update — July 2026: Aena has since put figures on the airport's expansion: €1.154 billion, a terminal almost 30% bigger and a rail link on the way. Read our full breakdown.
How busy is Alicante airport in 2026?
Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández is now the fifth-busiest airport in Spain, and it is growing faster than the national network.
| Year | Passengers | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 15.75M | — |
| 2024 | 18.39M | +16.8% |
| 2025 | 19.95M | +8.5% (record) |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 5.87M | +8% |
In April 2026 the airport handled 1.92 million passengers (+10.9%) — well above AENA's network average. It logged 126,081 aircraft movements in 2025, and 88% of all traffic is international. That last figure matters most for buyers: this is a gateway for overseas visitors, not a domestic commuter hub.
Which airlines and routes are growing?
For summer 2026 Ryanair alone bases 20 aircraft at Alicante, operating 580+ weekly flights across 89 routes, with seat capacity up around 10%. Its new connections point to where demand is heading — Friedrichshafen and Saarbrücken in Germany, plus more Central-European frequencies.
The top markets line up almost exactly with Costa Blanca buyers: the UK is number one (637,000 passengers in April 2026), followed by Germany and the Netherlands. New routes from German and Central-European cities are often a leading indicator of the next wave of buyers — we have already seen Dutch buyers become Spain's fastest-growing market.
Beyond the core UK and German markets, year-round links from Scandinavia and the Baltics — flown by carriers such as SAS and airBaltic — keep another steady stream of buyers and long-stay visitors arriving through Alicante.
How easy is it to reach the Costa Blanca?
From 1 June 2026 the airport–city bus runs more often (up to 92 daily services), and Alicante is becoming a strategic node on the Mediterranean Corridor as its rail capacity is upgraded — the same investment story behind Alicante's new Parque Central station. For most buyers, though, the decisive number is the short transfer: the main hotspots sit roughly 30–40 minutes from the terminal.
What stronger connectivity means if you're buying
- Demand underpins value. Record international arrivals feed a market where foreigners already buy around 4 in 10 homes in Alicante province — one reason Costa Blanca prices rose 18.3% in Q1 2026.
- Rental income works year-round. Strong winter scheduling — not just summer charters — means a holiday home can earn outside peak months too.
- Your area is minutes away. Our core hotspots — Benidorm–Finestrat, Villajoyosa and Alicante / Playa de San Juan — are about 30–40 minutes from the airport.
- Relocation is realistic. Frequent direct flights home make permanent or part-time living far easier than a seasonal connection ever could.
Connectivity rarely makes headlines the way prices do, but it is one of the quiet forces holding the Costa Blanca market up — and in 2026 the case is getting stronger, not weaker.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Alicante airport from Benidorm and Finestrat?
Around 45–55 km, or roughly 30–40 minutes by car via the AP-7 — one of the shortest airport transfers among Spain's major coastal markets.
Which airlines fly to Alicante?
Alicante is served by around 40 airlines. The biggest are low-cost carriers — Ryanair, easyJet, Norwegian, Jet2, Wizz Air and Vueling — alongside full-service and regional airlines such as British Airways, Lufthansa, KLM, SAS and airBaltic. Between them they connect Alicante to the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and the Baltics, France and Central Europe.
Does Alicante airport operate year-round?
Yes. Unlike purely seasonal airports, Alicante keeps a strong winter schedule, which makes both year-round living and off-season holiday rentals practical.
How many passengers did Alicante airport handle in 2025?
A record 19,950,394 — up 8.5% on 2024 — making it the fifth-busiest airport in Spain.
