Catalonia led Spain in the number of travellers arriving by low-cost carriers in 2017, a total of 12.2 million passengers, 7.6% more than the previous year. In the whole of Spain, such airlines carried more than 45.8 million passengers, 13.4% more than 2016.
In total, Catalonia received 26.7% of all travellers coming to Spain, according to statistics from the Ministry of Energy, Tourism and Digital Agenda. As previously reported by ElNacional.cat, Barcelona's El-Prat airport ended 2017 with all-time traffic records, not just in terms of low-cost airlines, but overall, seeing more than 47 million passengers pass through and beating Madrid's Barajas airport in terms of growth, 7.1%.
El Prat, low-cost hub
Barcelona's El Prat airport led Spain in terms of low-cost travellers last year, with 24.2% of the total. This translates into more than 11 million passengers, 6.3% more than 2016, consolidating its first place.
Behind Barcelona comes Malaga-Costa del Sol with a 11.7% growth in low-cost arrivals. Malaga is followed by Madrid-Barajas, with 5.1 million such passengers.
Traditional airlines weaker
Traditional providers carried, in the whole of Spain, more than 41.7 million passengers last year, 47.4% of total air traffic, 3.2% more than in 2016. Nonetheless, this growth is less than that of their low-cost competitors.