Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport Guide

Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport sits 9 kilometres southwest of Alicante city centre and 10 kilometres east of Elche, in the province of Valencia on Spain's southeastern Mediterranean coast. The airport opened on 4 May 1967, when the first aircraft — an Aviaco Convair Metropolitan — landed at the new facility. It is operated by Aena, Spain's national airport authority.

The airport has grown into Spain's fifth busiest, handling 18.4 million passengers in 2024 — a 16.8% increase on the prior year. Around 85% of traffic is international, with the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Belgium among the leading origin markets. Ryanair, easyJet, Vueling, Norwegian, Jet2, and Wizz Air are among the largest carriers. The airport recorded 116,270 aircraft movements in 2024.

A single runway of 3,000 metres serves all operations. The current Terminal NAT (Nueva Área Terminal) opened in March 2011 and has capacity for 20 million passengers per year, with 96 check-in desks, 40 gates, and 16 baggage claim carousels. Aena has announced a major expansion under its 2027–2031 investment framework, integrating the closed former terminals into an enlarged facility.