Vueling, a subsidiary of IAG, has announced the stable reinstatement of the Barcelona–Madrid route from 5 October, with tickets already on sale up to 29 March 2027. The resumption follows an increase in high-speed rail journey times which, until December, will be at least 25 minutes longer; some non-stop services are now taking more than three hours to complete the trip.
The airline withdrew this connection in March 2025 after more than eight years of operation, leaving the air link exclusively to Iberia. The success of high-speed rail had markedly reduced air demand, particularly after market liberalisation and a sharp fall in fares.
During 2026, Vueling already reactivated the route twice: first between 9 and 22 February, coinciding with disruptions to high-speed train operations, and then until 29 March due to elevated demand generated by the Goya Awards, Mobile World Congress and Alimentaria.
Now the carrier, which controls around 40% of El Prat’s slot share, justifies the permanent return on sustained year-round demand, especially among business travellers. A clear and unequivocal signal that Adif’s management is seriously harming the railway. A profound change is urgently needed.
Up to 11 weekly frequencies
In October, capacity will be ten weekly frequencies, with two daily flights from Monday to Thursday (morning and evening) designed for same-day return trips, plus one on Fridays and another on Sundays. From 31 October, Saturdays will be added, bringing the total to 11 weekly flights.
The airline will deploy A320-200 aircraft with 180 seats, meaning weekly seat capacity will be 1,980 — equivalent to almost five Series 103 trains or nearly four Series 108 sets.
The Barcelona–Madrid route is currently the second-busiest at El Prat airport, behind only Barcelona–Palma.