Seville welcomes aviation leaders to shape regional air connectivity

The 18th edition of Routes Europe welcomes vice presidents and heads of network planning from over 120 of the region’s leading airlines to the capital of Andalusia. Across three days, carriers will participate in more than 4,000 meetings with key stakeholders across the route development community to drive air network growth. Those in attendance include senior representatives from British Airways, easyJet, Eurowings, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Lufthansa, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, Transavia Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Volotea, Vueling, Wizz Air and Jet2.com. Routes Europe 2025 will also welcome more than 20 association and airline leaders, government ministers and expert suppliers to participate in the event’s Conference Programme. The line-up includes:

• CEO of Vueling Airlines, Carolina Martinoli, will discuss the carrier’s approach to expanding its network and responding to changing market demands.
• ACI Europe’s Director of Economics & Competition, Michael Stanton-Geddes, will explore future industry opportunities.
• Founder and CEO of Volotea, Carlos Muñoz, will delve into the airline’s route development strategy and navigating the evolving landscape of air travel.
• Ourania Georgoutsakou, Managing Director of Airlines for Europe (A4E), will explore the changing dynamics of the European airline industry.

This year’s event is hosted by the Government of Spain, The Regional Ministry for Tourism, Culture and Sport of the Government of Andalucia, and Seville City Hall. Recognised as a hub for tourism innovation, Seville has become one of most visited destinations in Spain and its efforts have allowed visitors to remain practically unhindered by seasonality. Sevilla Airport plays a crucial role in supporting the city's thriving air connectivity, serving over 80 destinations in collaboration with 29 airline partners.

Steven Small, Director of Routes, commented: “Since Seville was announced as the host city for Routes Europe 2025, the community response has been exceptional. By welcoming senior decision-makers from over 120 of the region’s leading and fastest-growing airlines, the destination will be able to cement its favourable reputation to enhance air connectivity and ultimately grow its route network. Independent analysis has shown that previous host destination airport networks have grown around 6.9% more than their comparators after three years.”

Arturo Bernal, Regional Minister for Tourism and Foreign Affairs of the Government of Andalucia said: “We are deeply proud to be the host of Routes Europe 2025 in the city of Seville, Spain. With over 120 airlines, 230 airports, and a multitude of destinations, this event offers us the opportunity to highlight Seville and Andalusia on the global air connectivity map, leveraging the network of its six airports. We have prepared a social programme that will leave delegates impressed. Seville Airport closed 2024 with the best year in its history, with record figures for both passenger numbers and operations. Regarding passengers, 9,175,072 were recorded, a 13.7% increase compared to 2023. Andalusia is now synonymous with growth and profitability for the commercial aviation sector, with six competitive airports spread across its territory. These dynamic infrastructures are open to the world and are ready to reach a record 21 million air seats offered in 2025, an unprecedented milestone for the region. This year, more than 530 routes will be operated by airlines to Andalusia. These flights will connect us to a total of 172 airports in 37 countries, further establishing us as an unstoppable international destination.”

José Luis Sanz, Mayor of Seville, stated: “For Seville, hosting Routes Europe 2025 is a great opportunity to show the world all that our city has to offer in terms of air connectivity. We are ready to continue growing as a key hub in Europe, because we have everything it takes to achieve this: Seville is an ideal strategic point for airlines looking for new routes and is a gateway to Andalusia, Extremadura and southern Portugal, combining tourism, business, congresses and sustainability like few other cities do.”