A total of 165 aircraft from England are set to land in the Basque Country over the coming days ahead of the UEFA Europa League final between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, to be held at San Mames stadium in Bilbao.
Aena, which will manage this exceptional operation alongside its regular airport schedule, highlighted on Friday its “close collaboration” with UEFA, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), and both clubs to ensure smooth travel for fans.
To cope with the surge in demand, Aena will bolster staffing levels for both flight and passenger services, increase the number of security personnel at boarding area access points, and extend the opening hours of food and beverage outlets.
Special traffic management plans will also be in place at all four airports to ease the flow of coaches transporting fans to and from the terminals, in coordination with Bilbao City Council.
As passengers will be arriving from and departing to non-Schengen countries, Aena has worked with the Spanish National Police to streamline passport control procedures, including additional infrastructure for documentation checks and dedicated boarding gates for these specific flights.
Bilbao Airport, which will receive both teams, will handle 79 charter flights in total — 40 arrivals and 39 departures — primarily from London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Stansted, and Manchester airports.
Vitoria Airport will manage 34 charter flights — 17 in and 17 out — mainly from Stansted, London Luton, and London Southend. The Alaves capital will also serve as the main departure hub for Tottenham supporters after the match.
San Sebastian Airport will accommodate 13 charter flights (six arrivals and seven departures), while Seve Ballesteros-Santander Airport will handle 39 flights (17 arrivals and 22 departures), mostly from Manchester, Stansted, and Dublin.
To assist with the return journey of Manchester United fans, the Cantabrian airport will dedicate its entire departures hall to non-Schengen flights and set up a specific information desk to help passengers.