Spanish airport operator Aena said Tuesday that airlines in its network have scheduled nearly 8% more seats for this northern summer than last year, as a rebound in tourism continues since the end of restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Airlines have scheduled 243 million seats at Aena's airports for both departures and arrivals for the boreal summer season, from March 31 to October 26, Aena said.

So far, European airlines have reported strong bookings for the boreal summer, maintaining a positive outlook for 2024, at a time when they are benefiting from a continued post-pandemic travel boom.

Aena increased its seat schedule by more than 10% in the European market over last summer, driven by the UK, Germany and Italy.

The Spanish market experienced an increase of around 3%.

Aena's passenger figures are recovering more quickly from the pandemic downturn than those of other European operators. It expects to handle around one million passengers per day at its airports by 2026.

(Report by Matteo Allievi; edited in Spanish by Benjamín Mejías Valencia)