Vueling is extending its Barcelona–Madrid route into summer 2027, adding 260,000 seats as problems on Spain’s high-speed rail network continue to affect travellers.
More choice for Barcelona–Madrid travellers
Travellers between Barcelona and Madrid will have more choice of transport in the months ahead after Vueling announced an expansion of its flight schedule on Thursday, November 5.
According to the airline, it will keep the route running through the summer 2027 season, extending a service that had originally been scheduled to finish on March 29. It has also added 260,000 seats, taking the total capacity on the connection to almost 350,000.
Vueling added one daily service from Tuesday to Thursday this week, bringing the number of flights on those days to three. It plans to add capacity gradually, reaching as many as five daily flights on the days and at the times with the most demand, but has not yet given dates for that peak.
Restored service due to high demand
Vueling restored its regular Barcelona–Madrid service on October 5 2026, after withdrawing from the route in March 2025. Vueling said the return was a response to rising demand, particularly from business travellers who make frequent journeys between the two cities, at a time when disruption on Spain’s high-speed network has pushed more people to consider flying. The airline added that the extended schedule is intended to meet those changing travel needs.
Rail services are still an option for some, but recent figures show how disruption has affected passenger numbers. Spain’s competition watchdog, the CNMC, reported in its quarterly rail report that the Madrid–Barcelona high-speed corridor carried 13 per cent fewer passengers in the second quarter of 2026 than in the same period a year earlier. That represented a fall of more than half a million journeys, or 518,000.
Speed restrictions on the route have also lengthened scheduled journey times, making the train less convenient for some passengers.
Vueling also adds seats on routes to Andalucia
Barcelona–Madrid is not the only connection receiving extra capacity. Between October 29 and November 5, Vueling added more than 7,200 seats across services from Barcelona to Madrid, Seville, Malaga and Jerez. The increase comes through additional flights and the use of larger aircraft.
Passengers travelling between Barcelona and Seville can also expect another daily flight from January 2027, taking the route to as many as eight daily services. Vueling is also increasing the number of seats available on some Barcelona–Malaga flights.
For residents and visitors in Spain, these changes offer more ways to plan journeys while rail services continue to face operational challenges. Anyone considering a flight should check the airline’s latest timetable, as the additional services are being introduced gradually.
