Corvera Soars Again! Europe’s Best Small Airport Celebrates Fourth Straight Win As Passenger Numbers Climb
Murcia’s Region of Murcia International Airport — better known as Corvera — is celebrating yet another major triumph after being crowned Europe’s Best Small Airport for the fourth consecutive year.
The airport claimed the top spot in the under-two-million-passengers category at the prestigious 2025 ASQ Customer Experience Awards, organised by Airports Council International. The awards are based entirely on passenger feedback, making the recognition especially meaningful.
Travellers rate airports on cleanliness, waiting times, security, facilities and staff friendliness — and Corvera continues to excel across the board.
PASSENGERS FIRST
Airport director Carlos Domingo San Martín hailed the award as proof that recent improvements are being noticed.
Over the past year, the airport has upgraded terminal lighting, installed specialist toilets for passengers with ostomies, expanded training for staff assisting travellers with reduced mobility, refurbished its duty-free shop, added two new outlets and introduced a book-exchange point.
For a regional airport, competing against facilities across Europe, winning four years in a row cements Corvera’s status as a standout performer.
PASSENGER NUMBERS ON THE RISE
And the good news doesn’t stop there.
Aena, the state-owned operator, says Corvera is firmly on track to recover pre-pandemic passenger levels — with more than one million travellers expected in 2026.
In 2025, the airport handled 949,007 passengers, a 4.3% increase on the previous year. To match its record-breaking 2019 debut year of 1,090,712 passengers, traffic needs to rise by 13% — a target Aena now believes is within reach.
Flight numbers are also surging. The airport recorded 7,640 flights in 2025, a 7% annual increase and just shy of its 2019 peak.
Growth is being driven by strong international demand, with overseas passenger numbers climbing 6% to more than 806,000 travellers. While the domestic market has softened due to route changes, international tourism continues to power the airport forward.
Significantly, Aena is now more optimistic about Corvera’s future than it was a year ago, having previously forecast that a full recovery would not arrive until 2027.
CONFIDENCE GROWING
Despite ongoing financial challenges typical of regional airports, Corvera has narrowed losses, cutting costs by €250,000 and increasing revenue to €14.9 million. Operating performance continues to improve as passenger volumes rise.
The airport operates under a concession model running until 2043, meaning future expansion depends on continued growth and commercial success rather than direct inclusion in Aena’s €13 billion national investment programme.
But with record customer satisfaction, rising international traffic and renewed confidence from Aena, Corvera’s trajectory is clear.
Four awards in four years. Passenger numbers climbing. Pre-pandemic records in sight.
For Murcia’s gateway to the world, the sky really is the limit.
