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Santiago Airport Shutdown Shifts April Traffic to A Coruña and Vigo

April’s data show a 35‑day runway upgrade with ILS replacement is reshaping Galicia’s air links.

Overview

  • Aena’s Tuesday data show Lavacolla fell 42.3% in April to 164,277 passengers after closing on April 23, while A Coruña rose 25.4% to 134,135 and Vigo grew 13.7% to 98,250.
  • The works at Lavacolla replace the Category II/III instrument landing system and renew the runway surface, and Aena says the closure runs through May 28 on schedule.
  • Alvedro faced early crowding, long queues and ground transport snags, and Aena added staff, opened temporary parking and coordinated taxis to handle roughly 50 daily operations.
  • Peinador gained travelers on key routes and logged a jump in cargo after DHL moved flights there during the closure, which also pushed up the number of takeoffs and landings.
  • Across Spain, Aena reported 28.3 million April passengers, up 3.7%, with analysts linking some demand to high‑speed rail disruptions after the Adamuz crash and to travel shifts tied to the Middle East conflict; in Galicia, Lavacolla’s longer slide and airline exits have spurred a regional push for new routes as the airport prepares to reopen with added international links.