Transportes highlights the growth of traffic in the airports of Castilla y León in 2023

• Passenger data is eloquent: Valladolid closed 2023 with 208,923 passengers, 21.45% more than 2022; León, with 63,442 passengers, 40% more; and Salamanca, with 21,083 passengers, 61.8%. • Burgos Airport reached record operations in 2023, with a total of 22,163 landings and take-off movements, 23.4% more than the previous year. • The Airport Coordination Committee of Castilla y León yesterday addressed the Aena plan of incentives to boost the increase in supply and that benefits these airports. • It has been highlighted that airports in the region are prepared to meet the demand for new air connections.

March 15, 2024.- The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, through the Director General of Civil Aviation, David Benito, highlighted yesterday the growth of traffic operated in 2023 by the four airports of Castilla y León. At the meeting of the Airport Coordination Committee of the Autonomous Community, which took place in Valladolid to address the current situation of the airport infrastructures of the region, the Ministry and representatives of the main regional and local institutions analyzed different actions to continue improving their connectivity

The passenger data obtained from the last year are eloquent: Valladolid Airport closed in 2023 with 208,923 passengers, which represents an increase of 21.45% compared to 2022; it is followed by León Airport, which ended the year with 63,442 passengers, 40% more than the previous year; and Salamanca Airport, with 21,083 passengers, which translates into a growth of 61.8%.

For its part, Burgos Airport achieved record operations in 2023, with a total of 22,163 landings and take-off movements, 23.4% more than the previous year. Most of these movements correspond to pilot school flights, with a very significant presence in the infrastructure of Burgos.

Incentive plan

To continue growing in passenger traffic and improving connectivity, it should be noted that a few weeks ago Aena approved a powerful three-year incentive plan to boost the increase in the offer in airports that had fewer than three million passengers in 2023, since airlines will be exempt from paying the fare per passenger of all passengers additional to those of 2023 for three consecutive years. This is a new plan that directly benefits the airport infrastructures of Castilla y León.

During the meeting, it was highlighted that the airports of Castilla y León are prepared to meet the demand for new connections and it has been urged to continue participating regularly in different forums of the sector to publicize and make its infrastructures and facilities available to companies that wish to operate in the airports.

The important role of the airports of Castilla y León for the development of the territory was also highlighted since, in addition to having commercial operations, they host school flights, ambulances, fire-fighting flights, or the National Organization of Transplants, among others, of great relevance to society.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the autonomous community, local entities, economic and social organizations, the Chambers of Commerce and Aena.

The meeting took place in a cordial atmosphere that has reflected the good harmony between all the agencies and institutions, with a clear desire for coordination to continue working for the future of the Castilian and Leonese airports.

Participation in airport development strategy

The Airport Coordination Committees (CCAs) allow the participation of the autonomous communities, local entities and civil society in the development strategy of the airports located in their territories.

The CCAs constitute spaces for efficient dialogue between the airport manager and the territory, safeguarding the operator’s management autonomy. Its objective is that the airport infrastructures incorporate and anticipate the necessary demands for the economic and social progress of the communities in which they are located and, at the same time, contribute from each territory to guarantee the competitiveness of the airports and the sustainability of the airport system.