Recent changes in passenger traffic in Spanish airports: significant modifications in an unfavorable economic context

Abstract

The rapid development of air transportation in Spain has been one of the most characteristic elements of the recent evolution of the Spanish transportation system. An increase in passenger traffic occurred in the context of an economic boom and the deregulation and liberalization of the air transportation market. However, after several years of economic and financial crisis, there has been a sharp decline in the movement of passengers, mainly caused by the weakness of internal and domestic traffic. Nevertheless, due to a complex and complicated market in terms of spatial organization, decreases in traffic have affected different airports to a different extent. The main objective of this research has been to analyze the scope of the decline in air traffic passengers and its causes, effects and consequences, for the whole of the Spanish territory as well as in the different centers of the airport system.