Volotea cuts winter flights at Spanish airports: Which routes are affected?

Travellers flying to and from several Spanish airports face fewer flight options this winter as low-cost airline Volotea cuts services across its network. Bilbao, Asturias, Lanzarote and Tenerife South are among the airports affected, with dozens of flights facing cancellations or timetable changes.

Volotea says the winter schedule changes are a response to challenging conditions across the aviation industry. The adjustments affect 2.8 per cent of its annual flight programme in Spain, with Bilbao, Asturias and the Canary Islands among the areas affected.

For travellers planning a Christmas getaway or a visit to family, the main concern is whether their flights will be affected.

Volotea winter flight cuts: Which Spanish airports and routes are affected?

The Bilbao airport is one of the main airports that are affected by these changes. The changes involve one hundred flights from October 17, 2026, to January 6, 2027, affecting nine domestic and international routes.

The Spanish connections to be affected are Malaga, Alicante, Gran Canaria, Tenerife South, and Valencia. International services are Naples, Athens, Rome, and Venice.

This is not to say that these are flights that are permanently discontinued, but changes in the schedules of the route. Therefore, passengers should always check the individual departures, and not assume that all flights to a destination have been cancelled.

The company also wants to keep its two Airbus 320s in Bilbao, and for 2026 hopes to operate approximately 665,000 seats, a level similar to that of the previous year.

In the meantime, Volotea is planning to inaugurate on November 6 a new service between Bilbao and A Coruña, thus showing that the winter adjustments do not constitute a full withdrawal from the airport.

The Asturias airport is also undergoing a few changes, particularly the services to the Canary and Balearic Islands.

The new timetables for the flights to Fuerteventura and Palma de Mallorca have been confirmed by the company to La Razón. Flights to Fuerteventura operate between December 19 and January 2, while flights to Palma de Mallorca run from December 20 to January 6.

Despite the reduced availability in the winter months, Volotea says that it will maintain its twenty-four routes from Asturias in 2027. The aircraft of its fleet, three Airbus A320s, will be stationed at the airport.

In the Canary Islands, Lanzarote has had 12 flights affected on its connection to Montpellier, linking the island with southern France.

At Tenerife South, an additional 16 flights have been affected, and are connected to two routes, although the report does not specify which are they. People who are going through Tenerife South should check their individual tickets rather than assume that all Volotea flights from that airport have been canceled.

It will be mainly important to those who are travelling to the regional Spanish airports, where the loss of even a few weekly departures can mean fewer convenient alternatives.

Why is Volotea reducing its winter flights in Spain?

The timetable change is taking place at a time when the company is in financial difficulties.

Volotea is in the process of reorganizing some €356.2 million in debt, including the financing it received during the pandemic. In order to strengthen its financial position and ensure its long-term viability, the company is negotiating with creditors and investors.

Volotea also plans to reduce its fleet from 44 aircraft to between 30 and 35, while approximately 50 positions at its Barcelona offices could be affected by the restructuring.

Rising fuel costs and uncertainty in the global aviation sector have put pressure on the company’s operations. In the company’s own words, the increase in fuel costs has had an estimated negative effect of around €150 million.

However, Volotea has been improving its figures over the past few years. Its operating profit grew from €3 million in 2023 to €33.5 million in 2024 and €47.4 million in 2025.

What should passengers do if their Volotea flight is affected?

Travelers who have already booked with Volotea should contact the company to see if their flight is still on schedule, especially if it is from Bilbao between 17 October and 6 January, or from any of the other winter routes affected.

It is worth looking at the flight number and the date of departure, rather than just seeing if the route is still on the Volotea web page. A company may continue to operate a route, but may have cancelled or changed the timetable for individual departures.

Check your e-mail address and telephone number. Airline companies usually contact you in the case of timetable changes or cancellations by e-mail and telephone. Earlier is better for those who have booked accommodation, car hire, or further transport.

If you’re still planning your winter getaway, you might want to consider alternative dates or departure airports before making your non-refundable arrangements. Remember, too, that the number of Volotea flights during winter is limited.

Still, this announcement seems to be more of a series of planned winter reductions in schedules than a complete withdrawal from the Spanish airports concerned.

The most important thing for passengers is to check their travel dates. All of the affected airports are Bilbao, Asturias, Lanzarote, and Tenerife South, but the extent of the changes varies considerably from airport to airport.