Spain Summer 2025: Where to Park When There’s Nowhere to Park

Flying to Spain this summer? Be ready for one of the most challenging seasons yet. OPSGROUP members and local FBOs have confirmed that many of Spain’s key airports are either full or close to capacity, with last-minute parking denials, repositioning chaos, and growing frustration.

The Big Picture

Balearic Islands are maxed out. LEPA/Palma, LEIB/Ibiza, and LEMH/Menorca are denying overnight parking in most cases. Even short turnarounds now require formal approval.
Mainland airports like LEVC/Valencia and LEAL/Alicante – once go-to repositioning options – are now also denying overnight stays, especially for ferry flights. Overflow traffic is being pushed to bigger hubs like LEBL/Barcelona and LEMD/Madrid, which can still work, but come with long taxi times, fueling delays, and strict slot restrictions. In Barcelona, non-based BizAv aircraft are limited to a maximum 96-hour stay. In Madrid, they’re allowed just one overnight, and turnarounds without passengers are not permitted.
The system is overwhelmed. We’ve received multiple reports from our members that due to poor infrastructure planning, increased aircraft size, and inflexible airport authority (AENA) policies, BizAv is being squeezed out of prime destinations.
Even second-tier airports like LEGR/Granada or LERS/Reus are turning away requests. Some smaller fields remain usable – but only with proper planning and early coordination.

What All Airports Have in Common

Slot and parking coordination opens 14-15 days prior to arrival. Earlier requests are not accepted, and even short turnarounds often require prior approval.
No real-time availability. Handlers can’t tell you if parking is available until you’ve submitted a full handling request (aircraft type, schedule, operator details). Confirmations often take days and even then, your request may still be denied. Final decisions are made by the airport authorities.The best advice? Submit your schedule as early as the airport window allows, and always have a backup plan ready.

A-CDM airports in Spain: Watch Your Timings

Several major Spanish airports operate under A-CDM (Airport Collaborative Decision Making) procedures – for example, LEBL/Barcelona, LEMD/Madrid, and LEPA/Palma de Mallorca. Always double-check with your local FBO to confirm whether A-CDM rules apply at your destination.

At these airports, your filed EOBT (Estimated Off-Block Time) must exactly match your assigned departure slot. If it doesn’t, ATC will not clear you to start up or taxi. There’s no flexibility – and your handler has no power to override the system.

What often happens is this: a crew files an updated EOBT without informing the handler, but the airport system still holds the original slot. That mismatch is caught by Eurocontrol, which then assigns a much later CTOT (Calculated Take-Off Time) – often causing a delay of 1 to 2 hours, or blocking the departure entirely.

To avoid this, always coordinate any time change, even a small one, with your handler first. Once they’ve confirmed your new slot, you can safely file your updated flight plan to match.

If you’re delayed inbound and won’t make your original slot, make sure to send your updated ETA asap – this gives the airport time to adjust your arrival slot accordingly.

Spain is one of the stricter countries in Europe when it comes to A-CDM enforcement. If your times don’t match, you’re not moving. For more on how Eurocontrol and CTOTs work behind the scenes, see our explainer article.

The Balearics: Parking Nightmare Central

The three main airports in the Balearic Islands – LEIB/Ibiza, LEPA/Palma de Mallorca, and LEMH/Menorca – are all experiencing major congestion this summer.

Key issues across all:

Parking is extremely limited, especially on weekends. Overnight stays are frequently denied – sometimes even for light jets.
Repositioning to the mainland is increasingly common. Local FBOs recommend LEBL/Barcelona and LEGE/Girona – both H24 – as the best alternates. LEVC/Valencia is also commonly used, but recent reports say it’s already congested.

LEIB/Ibiza

Ibiza is proving the most difficult of the three. Members report that overnight parking is nearly impossible to obtain – 90% of overnight parking requests are flatly refused, regardless of aircraft size.

According to local FBOs (not published in the AIP), aircraft with a wingspan greater than 18 meters planning to remain on the ground for more than 3 hours require a PPR – which is rarely approved during the peak season. Even short turnarounds are becoming problematic without advance coordination.

FBO contacts:

Sky Valet: fbo.leib@skyvalet.com, occ@skyvalet.com
Aviapartner: leib@aviavip.com

LEPA/Palma de Mallorca

LEPA is slightly more manageable, but still highly congested.

New for 2025: From 1 June – 30 Sep, aircraft longer than 20 meters are limited to a maximum of 7 days of parking, unless specifically approved by the airport. See AIP for details.

Members report first-time outright parking refusals for light jets, and fuel delays of more than an hour due to one of the two fuel trucks being out of service.

FBO contacts:

Sky Valet: fbo.lepa@skyvalet.com, occ@skyvalet.com
Aviapartner: lepa@aviavip.com

LEMH/Menorca

Menorca is facing similar congestion pressures as the rest of the Balearics this summer, but local FBOs suggest it may still be the easiest of the three island airports to manage. While parking is certainly limited, especially on peak days (Friday through Sunday), overnight stays are not impossible – particularly if you plan ahead.

During the summer, the airport operates from 0700-0030 local time. See AIP for details.

Slot and parking requests can typically be submitted 14-15 days before arrival. Some FBOs note that approvals are sometimes possible even on shorter notice, especially if you provide a full itinerary. Drop-and-go remains the best strategy here too.

FBO contacts:

Universal Aviation: mah@uvspain.com, universal.aviation@uvspain.com
Aviapartner: lemh@aviavip.com

Mainland Spain: Where You Might Have a Chance

Need local FBOs contacts or AIP links? Click here for quick access.

Click for PDF.

Popular Repositioning Options – but Getting Busy

LEVC/Valencia and LEAL/Alicante are among the most commonly suggested mainland alternates for traffic repositioning from the islands. But this summer, both airports are struggling with overflow demand. Overnight parking is frequently denied, even for ferry flights, and local FBOs report regular rejections, especially on peak days.

Big Airports Still Working – with Significant Limits

LEBL/Barcelona is still one of the more reliable options for BizAv this summer. Parking is usually available and the airport operates H24. However, LEBL enforces a 96-hour parking limit for all non-based aircraft year-round, so longer stays are not possible. During the summer, aircraft with an MTOW under 15 tons are also not permitted to arrive between 0900–1159 local time. In addition, taxi times from the BizAv apron are long, typically around 20 minutes. The airport applies A-CDM rules strictly.

LEMD/Madrid is no longer an easy fallback. While it operates H24 and still offers reasonable parking availability, non-based BizAv operators are now subject to strict slot restrictions: only one overnight is allowed, and at least one leg (arrival or departure) must be a passenger flight. Turnarounds involving positioning flights only are not permitted. Crews should also plan for long taxi times (15–30 minutes), and fuel uplift may be delayed or denied without a confirmed same-day departure, as priority is given to commercial and outbound traffic.

Member report received July 2: We had an overnight 2 days ago and the airport is packed. Evidently there is no where to park in the islands and everyone is drop and go to LEMD as you have reported. We got to the airport 2.5 hours prior to our departure scheduled for 1320 local departure and waited almost 3 hours for fuel. Our slot had to be constantly updated by the handlers so we didn’t miss it.

Another member report received July 3: We were granted a week’s parking at Madrid, but on a disused taxiway arriving yesterday. The handler said it’s at capacity.

UN Summit in Sevilla – Temporary Restrictions Across Andalusia

Several airports in Andalusia are currently affected by temporary restrictions due to the UN summit in LEZL/Seville, running from June 26 – July 4. These impact BizAv ops across the region, especially in terms of parking, ground time, and access. However, once the summit ends, many of these airports may become more usable options for summer parking. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect:

LEZL/Seville is effectively off-limits for BizAv during the summit. The airport cannot be used as an alternate, and all BizAv flights require special government permission. Slots and PPR are mandatory. Local FBOs strongly advise avoiding LEZL during the summit unless absolutely necessary. Things should return to normal after July 4.

LEAM/Almeria is generally an easy airport to work with and remains a solid parking option compared to congested hubs like Palma or Valencia. At the moment, both slot and PPR are required, likely due to increased activity linked to the UN summit. Traffic may temporarily rise, but overall availability remains better than at most coastal airports.

LEGR/Granada is currently operating under an Apron Saturation Procedure until July 5. BizAv flights are limited to 60 minutes on stand and must receive prior approval, even though no official slot or PPR system is in place. All international arrivals are treated as non-Schengen, even if coming from Schengen countries, due to temporary internal border controls. Outside the summit, LEGR is a good parking fallback.

LEJR/Jerez normally just requires a slot (no PPR) and usually has decent parking availability. Right now though, BizAv traffic is limited – only flights with a properly authorized slot are accepted, and approvals are more selective than usual. After July 3, it should return to being one of the more reliable fallback options in the region.

LEMG/Malaga is often seen as a good BizAv parking option, and we’ve received positive reports from members securing parking here. Parking restrictions relating to the summit were lifted on July 2, so there’s no issue on that front anymore.

Other Viable Options – Depends on Timing

LEGE/Girona and LERS/Reus are both decent fallback options for mainland parking and can be worth a try. While not always full, availability is limited and approvals are never guaranteed. BizAv flights to LERS require a PPR, so early coordination is essential.

Better Bets for Summer Parking

Airports in northern Spain – including LEBB/Bilbao, LEAS/Asturias, LEST/Santiago de Compostela, LEVX/Vigo, and LEXJ/Santander – are not as widely used for BizAv but are currently seeing less congestion and can be good alternatives, even for bizjets. Most require slots but not PPR. Parking is generally available, though space for long stays or bigger jets may still be assessed case-by-case. These are solid options worth exploring, especially when the more popular destinations are full.

Situation Changing Fast – Help Us Keep It Updated

Airport conditions across Spain can change quickly during the summer – a slot that was easy yesterday might be impossible tomorrow. If you have recent experience at any of these airports, please share it with us by submitting an Airport Spy Report. Your intel helps the whole community stay informed.

What’s Airport Spy? Well, you write a quick little postcard with “what happened” when you went to some airport somewhere. Then you, and others can refer to your notes for future flights to the same place.

Spain Summer 2025: Where to Park When There’s Nowhere to Park