Who manages airports in Spain?

Short answer

In Spain, most commercial airports are managed by Aena, a mixed company that trades on the stock market but whose majority shareholder is the State through Enaire, with just over 51% of the capital. Aena operates 46 airports and 2 heliports across the country, as well as holding stakes in airports abroad (as of 2026).

Published: September 22, 2026 · Updated: September 22, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

Madrid Barajas Airport, Terminal 2 (11 10 2010). - panoramioFrancois Polito (CC BY SA), vía commons

Aena, the state-controlled operator

Aena S.M.E., S.A. is the company that manages the network of airports of general interest in Spain, a centralized model unusual in Europe, where many countries split management among regional or local administrations. The name comes from the former state agency Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea, which split in 2014: the airport side became the company that trades on the stock market today, while air navigation passed to Enaire. Aena has been listed on the Spanish stock exchange since February 2015, but the State retains control because Enaire holds 51% of the capital, while the rest is in the hands of institutional and individual investors.

A network that includes large and small airports

The company operates 46 airports and 2 heliports across Spanish territory, from major hubs such as Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona-El Prat to low-activity aerodromes that are kept running for territorial cohesion rather than profitability. Besides airport fees, Aena earns a significant share of its revenue from the commercial operation of terminals — shops, restaurants and parking — and it also holds stakes in airports in Mexico, Colombia, Brazil and the United Kingdom, where it controls Luton Airport.

Exceptions to the centralized model

Not every Spanish airport depends on Aena: several smaller aerodromes, mostly used for sport or private aviation, are managed by regional or local authorities outside the state network, and some facilities are shared with military air bases. En-route air navigation, meanwhile, falls to Enaire, which is also Aena's majority shareholder. This combination of state control and stock market presence has made Aena one of the most profitable airport operators in the world (as of September 2026).