Ibiza Airport handled 8,896,297 passengers between January and October 2026, representing a 2.9% increase compared with the same period last year, according to figures released by Spanish airport operator Aena on Thursday. The airport also recorded 81,256 aircraft movements over the ten-month period, up 2.5% year on year.

Monthly figures show that passenger traffic started the year below 2025 levels before recovering in March and maintaining steady growth throughout the following months.

In October alone, 855,172 passengers passed through Ibiza Airport, 2.6% more than in the same month of 2025. However, aircraft movements fell by 1.7%, with a total of 7,713 arrivals and departures. Passenger numbers therefore continued to rise in the tenth month of the year despite a reduction in the number of flights.

Of October’s total passengers, 853,660 travelled on commercial flights, an increase of 2.7% compared with a year earlier. Domestic routes accounted for 312,670 passengers, up 2.9%, while international flights carried 540,990 passengers, representing year-on-year growth of 2.6%.

The United Kingdom remained Ibiza’s largest international market, with 193,720 passengers in October. Italy ranked second with 88,519, followed by Germany with 71,096 and the Netherlands with 61,516.

Passenger traffic recovered after a slower start to 2026

The airport’s performance this year has varied considerably between the opening months and the peak tourist season.

2026 began with passenger numbers below those recorded in 2025. In January, Ibiza Airport handled 199,053 passengers, down 5.6% year on year, while aircraft movements fell by 4.5% to 2,555.

February also saw a decline, with 207,486 passengers, 2.9% fewer than in the same month of the previous year. Aircraft movements totalled 2,449, representing a decrease of 2.6%.

The trend reversed in March, when passenger traffic reached 296,119, an increase of 3.2% compared with March 2025. Despite this recovery, the first quarter ended with an overall decline against the previous year, recording 702,658 passengers, down 1.3%, and 8,267 aircraft movements, a decrease of 0.5%.

April brought further improvement, with 671,579 passengers passing through the airport, 3.1% more than in April 2025. This increase pushed the year-to-date figures back into positive territory. Between January and April, Ibiza Airport handled 1,374,237 passengers, up 0.8%, while aircraft movements reached 14,797, an increase of 1.9%.

May surpasses one million passengers for the first time in 2026

Passenger traffic continued to accelerate in May, when Ibiza Airport exceeded one million monthly passengers for the first time in 2026. A total of 1,094,236 travellers passed through the terminal, a 6.1% increase compared with May 2025. This was the strongest year-on-year growth in passenger numbers recorded during the first ten months of the year.

By the end of May, cumulative passenger traffic had reached 2,468,473, up 3.1% compared with the same period in 2025.

In June, the airport handled 1,300,187 passengers, representing a 3.2% annual increase. Aircraft movements also rose by 3.2%, reaching 11,518. Ibiza Airport therefore closed the first half of the year with 3,768,660 passengers, 3.1% more than during the first six months of 2025.

Growth continued in July, when passenger numbers reached 1,490,302, up 3% year on year. The airport recorded 13,544 aircraft movements during the month, an increase of 2.4%.

After the first seven months of 2026, cumulative traffic stood at 5,258,962 passengers and 49,413 aircraft movements, with both figures showing increases of 3.1% compared with the previous year.

August was the busiest month of the year, both in terms of passenger numbers and aircraft movements. Ibiza Airport recorded 1,519,201 passengers, 2.5% more than in August 2025, alongside 13,643 arrivals and departures, an increase of 5.2%.

By the end of August, the cumulative passenger total had reached 6,778,163, up 3% year on year, while aircraft movements stood at 63,056, representing growth of 3.6%.

In September, passenger traffic remained above the previous year’s levels, with 1,262,962 travellers, an increase of 2.9%. However, aircraft movements edged down by 0.2% to 10,487.

The airport closed the first nine months of 2026 with 8,041,125 passengers, 3% more than in the same period of 2025, and 73,543 aircraft movements, also representing a 3% increase.

Passenger numbers rise despite fewer flights in September and October

Year-on-year comparisons show that passenger traffic declined only in January and February. From March through to October, every month recorded an increase compared with its equivalent in 2025.

Aircraft movements followed a slightly different pattern. Declines were recorded in January, February, September and October, while the period between March and August saw increases.

October’s figures highlight the growing difference between passenger numbers and flight activity. While the number of travellers increased by 2.6% compared with October 2025, aircraft movements fell by 1.7%.

A similar pattern was recorded in September, when passenger traffic grew by 2.9% even as aircraft movements decreased by 0.2%.

The figures underline the continued growth in passenger demand at Ibiza Airport during 2026, even as the number of flights has begun to ease towards the end of the main tourist season.