Aena raises traffic forecast as Middle East unrest redirects travellers to Spain
Impact of Middle East Unrest on Aena's Passenger Traffic and Financial Performance
Revised Passenger Traffic Forecast
MADRID, July 29 (Reuters) - Spanish airport operator Aena raised its 2026 passenger traffic growth forecast to 3% on Wednesday after posting a higher first-half net profit, driven by strong tourist arrivals to Spain as Middle East unrest diverted travellers to southern Mediterranean destinations.
Aena had earlier forecast yearly passenger traffic growth of 1.3% for 2026, compared with an increase of 3.9% last year.
Travel Demand Shift Due to Middle East Crisis
"Since the onset of the (Strait of Hormuz) crisis, we have observed a diversion of travel demand towards Spain, which is perceived as a safe tourist destination," Aena said in a statement.
Financial Results and Performance
First-Half Net Profit and Passenger Numbers
The company posted a net profit of €1 billion ($1.14 billion) in the first half of the year, as its Spanish airports handled 156.2 million passengers in those six months, up 3.7% from the same period last year in the world's second-most visited country after France.
Revenue Growth and Analyst Expectations
Aena's results were in line with analysts' expectations. The higher passenger traffic helped boost first-half revenue by 10% to €3.28 billion.
Outlook and Uncertainty
The operator added it had limited visibility for the second half of the year due to heightened uncertainty surrounding the conflict in the Middle East.
($1 = 0.8772 euros)
(Reporting by Corina Pons; Editing by David Latona)