The group Air France-KLMwhich is negotiating the purchase of 20% of Air Europa, intensifies its advances in the Spanish market with its low-cost subsidiary Transavia to compete directly in the short and medium European radius against Vueling, IAG’s ‘low cost’, and the independent Volotea, its two great rivals in the French market. For this, will increase its offer to and from Spain by 15%, open three new routes and will reinforce its operations in the two large capitals, Madrid and Barcelona, in addition to increasing its presence in the main tourist destinations of the Mediterranean arc.
Transavia, which announced its plans this Wednesday in Madrid, will reinforce its operations in Spain after become its first market, surpassing Portugal. Present in the territory for 15 years, it considers that this market is key to its global growth. Proof of this is that of the 4.7 million passengers transported in July and August, a third of them (1.35 million) did so to or from Spanish destinations.
Taken to annual terms, the number of travelers from or to Spain last year reached 6.7 million, almost a third of the total (21 million) that moves annually in all its operations. The Franco-Dutch airline relies on exceed 7 million in 2025offering 2.6 million seats in winter and another 5 million in summer which, together with a planned occupancy rate of 92%, would guarantee meeting this objective.
The ‘low cost’ subsidiary of Air France-KLM operates 62 routes from Spain (21 to France, 36 to the Netherlands and 5 to Belgium) from 18 airports in the Aena network. For this winter—when there is less demand—it has scheduled a total of 56, incorporating another three with two weekly flights each: Seville-Bordeauxwhich will open on December 12; and those already operational Granada-Amsterdam and Gran Canaria- Brussels.
The real reinforcement will come next summer, when it will consolidate everything that exists and add new frequencies to its three major connections during the summer peaks. The route between Barcelona and Paris Orly will add eight more weekly flights, to make 4 daily flights; the connection of Madrid with the French capital it will incorporate 7 more flights per week that will continue after the summer; and the route Malaga-Paris will have 4 additional flights in high season and 3 outside of it.
The reinforcements will also reach other tourist routes such as those that link Paris Orly with Lanzarote, Fuerteventura or Tenerife; as well as Fuerteventura-Amsterdam or Alicante-Eindhoven. But the real focus will be on the airports on the Mediterranean coast: Sevilleits most served city in Spain, with six destinations in France, Belgium and Holland; followed by Malaga, Palma and Alicantewith five.
“Spain is not only a priority market for Transavia, but also one of the strategic pillars for our growth in Europe. This increase in capacity and the opening of new routes reflect our commitment to respond to the needs of travelers,” says Nicolas Henin. , Chief Commercial Officer of Transavia.
With around 6,000 employees spread between the Netherlands and France, Transavia operates almost 350 routes from its eight bases in France (Paris Orly – its hub –, Nantes, Lyon and Montpellier), the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Eindhoven) and Belgium. (Brussels). This year it has begun renewing its fleet, progressively replacing the old Boeing 737s it owns with new Airbus A320neo and A321neo, with the idea of unifying its fleet while reducing its energy consumption and emissions.
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