Already in January, when Fitur 2026 was held in Madrid, and in February, there were declines. But by March 2026, a decidedly negative picture for mainland tourism was solidified. The loss of air connectivity to Gran Canaria in March 2026 painted a picture of selective adjustment: some key markets grew, other traditional ones contracted, and the overall impact was moderate. The most significant adjustment came from the domestic market: the mainland saw its capacity drop from 215.149 to 203.322 seats, representing 11.827 fewer seats (-5,5%), a decline that explains a large part of the overall decrease.
Gran Canaria lost air capacity in March, but the decline was very uneven. While the UK, France, Poland, and other international destinations gained ground, Germany, mainland Spain, Italy, and the Nordic countries reduced their offerings. The result is a more concentrated connectivity map with clear signs of market reorientation, rather than a general contraction of the destination.
The overall number of seats will decrease from 657.950 in March 2025 to 641.695 in March 2026, representing a net loss of 16.255 seats (-2,5%). The decline is concentrated particularly in the Iberian Peninsula and several Nordic and Central European markets, while other countries partially offset this with significant increases. The United Kingdom reinforces its position as the leading source market, increasing from 104.255 to 112.289 seats, a rise of 8.034 seats (+7,7%), consolidating its strategic importance in the island's connectivity. In contrast, Germany, the destination's second major source market, registers a significant drop: from 137.067 to 126.197 seats, a decrease of 10.870 (-7,9%), the largest absolute decline among countries.
The Netherlands shows stability with slight growth, increasing from 28.973 to 29.272 places (+299; +1,0%). In the Nordic bloc, the trend is mostly downward: Sweden falls from 15.330 to 15.003 (-327; -2,1%), Denmark from 12.323 to 11.516 (-807; -6,5%), Finland from 14.047 to 12.421 (-1.626; -11,6%), and Norway from 21.756 to 20.324 (-1.432; -6,6%). The exception is Ireland, which grows from 13.245 to 14.020 places (+775; +5,9%).
Western and Central Europe show very disparate trends. Belgium falls sharply from 11.992 to 9.762 places (-2.230; -18,6%), while Italy also declines from 21.698 to 17.681 (-4.017; -18,5%). Conversely, Austria rises from 6.659 to 7.178 places (+519; +7,8%), and France experiences one of the most striking increases, rising from 8.352 to 12.012 places, an increase of 3.660 (+43,8%).
In smaller but strategic markets, the data is even more extreme in percentage terms. Switzerland advances slightly from 11.052 to 11.250 seats (+198; +1,8%), while the Czech Republic falls from 1.512 to 1.408 (-104; -6,9%). Poland almost doubles its connectivity, jumping from 4.041 to 6.911 seats (+2.870; +71,0%), one of the most significant increases in the table. Portugal also improves, from 3.477 to 3.939 seats (+462; +13,3%), and Luxembourg rises from 2.745 to 2.868 seats (+123; +4,5%). Conversely, Iceland plummets from 3.908 to 2.188 seats, a loss of 1.720 seats (-44,0%).
