It may be cheaper to fly to Europe than to Madrid or Barcelona to celebrate Easter

The soaring fares of domestic flights in Spain during Holy Week has led many holidaymakers to look for alternatives on the continent.

The demand for flights between Madrid and Malaga has increased dramatically since the AVE high speed rail line was severely disrupted by the Adamuz disaster. Air travel is becoming a popular alternative for passengers seeking Easter holidays along the Costa del Sol. The AVE service has seven frequencies on each side plus a transfer bus from Antequera.

Barajas Airport (Madrid), now ranks as the top hub The number of passengers travelling to and from Malaga has increased by almost 20,000 since February.

Madrid to Malaga – The most expensive route

Travel tickets for Palm Sunday hover at around €400 one way with the increase, while full return journeys covering Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday might reach close to €700 at peak. Recently, Iberia’s and Air Europa’s websites revealed daily rates that were different from the 99-euro ceiling introduced following the Adamuz disaster. Iberia lists affordable fares like €46 for Saturday, March 22, and €78 for Sunday, March 22, yet prices exceed €300 from Tuesday, March 24. Costs peak at €348 on March 27, Good Friday, marking the official start of the tourist campaign with return flights on Easter Sunday varying between €221 and €338 depending on the schedule and ticket type.

Airline companies hold back on adding more flights

Air Europa and Iberia do not have any plans to add extra flights. This is in contrast to the initial reinforcements after the rail shutdown. Both companies have reported difficulties scaling up operations quickly due to aircraft availability, fuel costs and other logistical issues. The extended AVE outage could lead to future changes. However, setting up extras over night is still doubtful.

Airport chief highlights capacity shortages and optimism

Malaga airport director Pedro Bendala There has been a suggestion to increase 11 daily frequencies to offer almost hourly service from Malaga to Madrid. The lost services are equivalent to 20 trains. Each train has the same capacity of 3 or 4 aircraft, and requires over 50 replacement planes. The hangars are still empty, and planes that are idle cost airlines money.

Europe could be an alternative vacation.

Currently, European flights are also affected, though not nearly as badly. Some may find that families looking for an Easter getaway in Europe are more lucky than Spanish ones.

Prices as published

Quick tips for the lowest prices Book today or tomorrow if possible — prices for next weekend rise fast.

• Consider purchasing one-way tickets, or a different date of return (often less expensive).
• For the best deals, check out Ryanair, easyJet and Vueling (many direct flights from Malaga).
• Flexible ±1 day can easily save 30 to 50  per cent.