La Palma Airport has recorded 778,446 passengers in the first half of 2026, a 4.1% increase compared to the previous year, the highest percentage growth of all Canary Islands airports.
La Palma Airport has become the fastest-growing airport in the Canary Islands in terms of passenger numbers during the first half of 2026. According to data published by Aena, the island facility counted 778,446 travellers between January and June, representing an increase of 4.1% compared to the same period last year.
This growth contrasts with the general trend of the archipelago, where all Canary Islands airports recorded 26,847,826 passengers, a 0.7% decrease compared to the first six months of 2025. Of the 26,729,685 commercial travellers, 10,647,275 opted for domestic flights (a 0.2% decrease) and 16,082,410 for international flights (a 0.8% decrease).
Island Leadership in a Context of General Decline
While airports such as Tenerife South (-2.9%), Fuerteventura (-3%), or Lanzarote (-1%) are losing passengers, La Palma tops the percentage growth table. It is followed by Tenerife North-Ciudad de La Laguna (+2.5%), El Hierro (+2.6%), and La Gomera (-1.4%), the latter in negative figures. In absolute numbers, Gran Canaria Airport leads with 7,917,801 passengers (+0.5%), followed by Tenerife South with 6,845,121 (-2.9%).
The strong performance of La Palma is attributed, according to sources in the tourism sector, to the recovery of air connectivity following the volcanic eruption in 2021 and the boost of new international routes. The island has managed to attract more domestic and international travellers, with a notable surge in June: 128,763 passengers, a 10.6% increase compared to the same month in 2025.
June: A Record Month for La Palma
In June, the Canary Islands airports totalled 4,153,154 passengers, a 0.9% decrease compared to June 2025. Of these, 4,130,092 corresponded to commercial flights: 1,996,594 domestic (+1.9%) and 2,133,498 international (-3.4%). La Palma was the airport that grew the most in percentage terms, with a 10.6% year-on-year increase, well above Tenerife North (+3.5%) and El Hierro (+2.1%).
In the semi-annual total, in addition to passengers, 240,811 aircraft movements were managed, and 15,381 tonnes of cargo were transported. In June, the movements were 38,629 and the cargo was 2,395 tonnes.
For the residents of La Palma, this data represents good news: more tourists mean more economic activity and jobs, although there are also challenges in infrastructure and services. The island's airport, which for years received the fewest passengers in the archipelago, demonstrates that recovery is solid and that the island is consolidating as a destination.
“These results reflect the entire island's effort to regain normality and attract visitors,” sources from the Cabildo of La Palma state.
The comparison with the rest of the Canary Islands makes it clear that La Palma is the positive exception in a semester where the archipelago has lost travellers, especially international ones. While Tenerife South and Fuerteventura decline, the beautiful island rises.
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