Santiago-Rosalia de Castro airport in northern Spain will close from 23 April to 27 May 2026 for runway resurfacing works, according to Spanish airport operator Aena. During the closure, the airport will be completely off-limits to all air traffic, with no take-offs or landings permitted, Aena confirmed. The closure is one of the largest interventions since the construction of the passenger terminal, Aena said. The airport is the busiest in Galicia and the second-busiest across northern Spain, according to multiple reports. Airlines operating from the airport include British Airways, Ryanair and Vueling, and hundreds of flights are expected to be affected during the May half-term holiday, major media reports indicate.
Alternative airports for travellers include A Coruña (LCG), Vigo (VGO), Porto (OPO), Lisbon (LIS), Madrid (MAD), and Barcelona (BCN), according to research from multiple sources. A Coruña Airport is about 70 km north of Santiago de Compostela, and travel time from A Coruña or Vigo to Santiago is about 2 hours by bus or 1 hour by private transfer, research shows. Travel time from Madrid to Santiago is about 6 hours by car or 3.5 hours by bus or train. Trains are operated by Renfe, and buses by ALSA and Flixbus, according to multiple sources.
Meanwhile, ground staff from Groundforce and Menzies have been on indefinite strike at 12 major Spanish airports since 30 March over a pay disagreement, according to Spanish airport operator Aena. The strike involves partial work stoppages on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during three time slots: 5-7am, 11am-5pm, and 10pm-midnight, Aena confirmed. It remains unclear whether the strike will affect flights at Santiago de Compostela during the closure, as the airport will be closed to all traffic.
Airlines UK has warned that summer holidays may be at risk due to proposed rule changes and rising jet fuel costs, according to major media reports. The letter from Airlines UK urges the government to overhaul rules to reduce passenger duty, permit more night flights, and scrap compensation for cancelled or delayed flights. The specific rule changes referred to by Airlines UK have not been detailed, and the government's response is not yet known.