Santiago airport shut
- Spain's Santiago‑Rosalía de Castro Airport is closed from April 23 to May 27 with no takeoffs or landings. (travelandleisureasia.com) - The month-long shutdown affects carriers including Ryanair, Vueling and Iberia, forcing reroutes and schedule changes. (travelandleisureasia.com) - Travellers should expect disruptions to Spain itineraries and check for alternative airports or changed connections. (travelandleisureasia.com)
Spain’s Santiago‑Rosalía de Castro Airport stopped all takeoffs and landings on April 23 and will stay shut until May 27 for runway renewal work. (aena.es) Aena, Spain’s airport operator, says the closure covers all air traffic at the airport near Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. Travel and Leisure Asia reported the work as runway resurfacing and maintenance, with domestic and international flights suspended. (aena.es) (travelandleisureasia.com) The airport handled 3,120,759 passengers and 24,837 aircraft operations in 2025, according to Aena. Aena also says the airport sits about 10 kilometres northeast of Santiago de Compostela and serves as a main air gateway for inland Galicia. (aena.es 1) (aena.es 2) The shutdown lands in late spring, when Galicia draws city-break visitors and Camino de Santiago pilgrims headed to or from Santiago de Compostela. Aena describes the city as an international destination because of the Camino, one of Europe’s main cultural routes. (aena.es) Airlines affected include Ryanair, Vueling and Iberia, all regular operators at Santiago, with schedules now canceled, rerouted or rebooked through other airports. Euronews described Santiago as the second-busiest airport in northern Spain as the closure began this week. (travelandleisureasia.com) (euronews.com) Nearby airports expected to absorb some traffic include A Coruña, Vigo and Porto, with onward trips by road or rail into Santiago and the rest of Galicia. Several Camino travel operators are already steering passengers toward those airports and warning them to build in extra transfer time. (travelandleisureasia.com) (travelwiseway.com) Aena’s latest traffic report shows Santiago processed 172,067 passengers in March and 435,679 in the first quarter of 2026, even before the full closure took effect. That gives a sense of how many spring itineraries now have to move through other airports or onto trains and buses. (aena.es) For travelers, the practical deadline is May 27: until then, Santiago is not operating as an airport at all. Anyone booked through late April or May needs to check the airline’s latest routing, not just the original ticket. (aena.es)
