Spanish airlines are increasing their seat capacity for the peak travel season (Image: Getty)
Spanish airlines have announced a major change that will affect flights between April and October. The period marks the country’s peak travel season, with millions of travellers expected to jet over to the sunny destination, and as a result, airlines in Spain have decided to increase seat capacity by 6%.
It comes amid growing concerns across the wider travel industry due to a slashed fuel supply in connection to the Iran war. However, Spanish airlines remain hopeful that tourists will still look to the country for a holiday during the peak season.
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According to Majorca Daily Bulletin, the rise is equivalent to around 260 million extra seats and is in line with Spain’s 5.9% passenger growth last year. However, industry experts have warned that inflation, geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty could significantly affect demand.
President of the Spanish Airlines Association, ALA, Javier Gandara, said that “the outlook is good” when speaking at a news conference on Tuesday.
“The 6% increase shows confidence that many people will want to visit Spain this summer, and part of that demand is traffic diverted from conflict zones and neighbouring areas,” he continued.
Route expansions will be focused on in coastal regions, including Alicante and Andalusia, with the capacity increasing by 14% and 8%, respectively. Airports in popular cities such as Madrid and Barcelona will see an 8% increase in available seats.
Industry bosses expect tourism to remain high during the summer (Image: Getty)
Mr Gandara noted that while airlines are hopeful of a thriving summer season, demand remains unclear.
We are facing a much more uncertain situation this year, with developments changing by the minute,” he said.
Spanish airlines are relatively protected from the fuel supply chaos, as more than 80% of their jet fuel comes from domestic refineries rather than the Middle East. According to the ALA, only 11% of its crude oil is sourced from the Middle East.
International airports serving Spain are also not expected to change their fares, as 70% of summer fuel needs to be secured through pre-conflict hedging agreements. However, Spanish low-cost carrier Volotea has introduced a temporary pricing policy linking ticket prices to fuel costs.
Consumer advocacy group Facua on Monday called for an investigation into the policy, alleging potential breaches of consumer protection laws.
The ALA president said he was unaware of any other Spanish airlines implementing similar measures, adding: “We always expect that each company should be free to set its business strategy within the regulatory and legal framework”.