Valencia Airport reopens after flooding forces 12 flights to divert overnight

For passengers waking up in Valencia this morning and checking their phones for the latest flight updates, there is some welcome news: the airport is open again.

Valencia Airport has reopened after torrential rain caused flooding and forced 12 incoming flights to divert overnight, although passengers are still warned to check their individual flight status before travelling.

The airport runway at Manises was closed late on Wednesday, September 16, after intense rainfall caused flooding in the area. Aena confirmed that the runway was operational again on Thursday morning, with the reopening reported by Europa Press at 8.03am.

The overnight disruption means travellers heading through one of the Valencia region’s main transport hubs today could still face knock-on delays, even though flights are able to operate again.

Valencia Airport is open again

The airport runway has now returned to operation following Wednesday night’s flooding.

According to Aena, 12 flights were diverted as a result of the closure. The disruption came after exceptionally intense rainfall swept across Valencia and surrounding areas during Wednesday evening.

For passengers with flights scheduled from Valencia today, the reopening is positive news, but it does not necessarily mean every flight will operate according to its original timetable.

Travellers should check directly with their airline before setting off for the airport, particularly if their flight was scheduled to arrive in Valencia overnight or early this morning.

Valencia Airport is a major international gateway for the region, with Aena reporting 11.8 million passengers in 2025. The UK is among the airport’s biggest international markets, while Palma de Mallorca, Madrid and Ibiza are the busiest domestic destinations.

That means disruption at Manises can quickly affect holidaymakers, residents and people travelling between the Valencia region and the Balearic Islands.

Torrential rain caused widespread disruption

The airport closure was just one consequence of an exceptionally intense period of rainfall across Valencia province.

Data reported by the Associació Valenciana de Meteorologia (Avamet) showed that more than 100 litres of rain per square metre were recorded at several locations.

At Torrent, 95 litres per square metre had fallen by 10pm, with an extraordinary 71 litres recorded in just 30 minutes.

Avamet described the rainfall intensity as exceptionally high, noting that more than 50 litres per square metre fell in 30 minutes in numerous locations around the Valencia metropolitan area.

The heaviest totals included 106 litres per square metre at l’Eliana, 102.4 at Chiva-Calicanto and 100.3 at Torrent-Calicanto.

The storm was accompanied by thunderstorms and winds reaching around 100 kilometres per hour in some areas.

The intensity of the rainfall was enough to cause flooding and widespread disruption to roads and public transport, with emergency services receiving hundreds of incident reports across the province.

Valencia Torrente Paiporta… el barranco otra vez…@navedelmisterio@carmenporter_#horizonte pic.twitter.com/sEQKu9LNyY

— JJNavarro💯 (@cyberpisha) September 16, 2026

Metrovalencia has restarted but remains disrupted

Passengers relying on public transport to reach Valencia Airport should also allow extra time.

Metrovalencia has restarted services after all metro and tram lines were interrupted during the worst of Wednesday night’s storm.

However, the operator has warned that services are not yet guaranteed to run normally and that passengers could experience problems with regularity.

Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana (FGV) was also working overnight to assist passengers affected by the disruption, including people who remained on some trains. Alternative transport was being arranged where conditions allowed.

This could be particularly important for passengers travelling to the airport by Metrovalencia, as the airport is connected to the city by metro lines 3 and 5.

Anyone travelling to catch a flight this morning should therefore check both their flight and the status of their planned journey to the airport before leaving home.

More transport disruption across Valencia

The effects of the storm have extended beyond the airport and Metrovalencia.

According to Europa Press, Cercanías services on the C2 and C6 lines were operating normally on Thursday morning, while the C1 route between Valencia and Gandia remained interrupted at several points between Sollana and Gandia. The C3 line between Valencia and Buñol was awaiting infrastructure checks.

Road travel has also been affected, with flooding leading to incidents across the province.

In Valencia city, several tunnels remained closed for safety following the heavy rainfall, while emergency services dealt with flooding, water ingress, traffic incidents and other storm-related problems.

The 112 emergency service recorded 478 incidents in Valencia province between 2pm and 11pm on Wednesday, according to figures reported by Europa Press.

What should Valencia Airport passengers do today?

The most important message for passengers is that Valencia Airport is open again, but the overnight closure means individual flights may still be affected.

Passengers travelling today should:

• Check their flight directly with their airline before leaving.
• Allow additional time for the journey to the airport.
• Check Metrovalencia or other public transport services if travelling without a car.
• Follow any instructions issued by Aena and local emergency authorities.
• Avoid assuming that the airport reopening means their particular flight is operating normally.

The latest situation is significantly different from Wednesday night, when flooding forced the runway to close and incoming aircraft were diverted.

For residents and tourists across Valencia, the key development this morning is therefore that the airport has reopened, but the wider transport network is still recovering from the storm.

With exceptionally heavy rainfall having caused disruption across the region, passengers are being advised to check their own journey before setting out rather than relying solely on the airport’s reopening.