Thousands of air passengers found themselves stranded on Thursday 12 February 2026 as a wave of cancellations and delays rippled across Spain’s busiest airports, with Barcelona at the eye of the storm. More than 148 flights at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona El Prat were cancelled outright, and disruption quickly spread to Madrid, Palma de Mallorca, Alicante and other key holiday and business gateways. Travellers reported hours-long queues, scarce information and mounting confusion as airlines and airport authorities struggled to get operations back on track.
The Scale of the Disruption Across Spain
The cancellations at Barcelona came amid a wider flare-up of travel disruption across the Iberian Peninsula, affecting both domestic and international routes. Aviation data from recent months shows how vulnerable Spanish airports have become to cascading operational shocks. During a major power outage in April 2025, for example, more than 400 flights were cancelled across Spain and Portugal in a single day, with Madrid and Barcelona each losing around 50 departures. With more than 148 flights cancelled at Barcelona alone in the current incident and additional cancellations at Madrid, Palma, Alicante, Valencia and Malaga, the overall impact on passengers on 12 February 2026 is likely to be comparable in scale.
Spain’s airport operator Aena, which manages Barcelona El Prat and other major hubs, has been dealing with an unprecedented surge in traffic. Barcelona’s passenger numbers broke successive records in 2025, including over 5.1 million travellers in May and more than 4.2 million in November. That growth has left airports busier and more fragile when extreme weather, technical problems or knock-on European disruptions strike. When operations unravel, the sheer volume of flights means thousands of travellers can be affected within hours.
Although the exact breakdown of cancellations and delays across each Spanish airport is still being processed, early indications suggest that short‑haul European links bore the brunt of the chaos. Popular city pairs such as Barcelona to London, Paris, Amsterdam and Rome, as well as domestic staples linking the Catalan capital with Madrid, Mallorca and Andalusia, all saw services scrapped or pushed back by multiple hours. For tourists, business travellers and families returning home, the effect was a sudden and stressful halt to carefully laid plans.
Barcelona at the Epicentre
Barcelona El Prat has experienced several episodes of serious disruption over the past two years, from torrential rains that flooded parts of the terminal and runway in late 2024, to storms in November 2025 that forced at least 47 cancellations in a single day and delayed many more departures and arrivals. In each of these cases, images of water pouring through terminal ceilings and densely packed departure halls highlighted how quickly localised events can bring such a busy hub to a standstill.
On 12 February 2026, passengers again described departure boards dominated by red cancellation notices and long queues for airline service desks. With more than 148 flights scrapped, tens of thousands of seats disappeared from the day’s schedule. That disruption was magnified by the airport’s layout and the high concentration of flights operated by a handful of carriers. Vueling, Iberia, Air Europa and several low‑cost and European network airlines collectively fill the bulk of Barcelona’s timetable, meaning that when irregular operations hit, rebooking options on the same route and same day can vanish quickly.
The knock‑on effect was immediately visible in the city. Taxis and regional trains serving El Prat were crowded with passengers who had been advised to return home or head for hotels rather than remaining in the terminal. Those who did stay were urged by staff announcements to stay close to their gates, monitor screens and check airline apps frequently as departure times shifted by the minute. For many, it meant an unplanned overnight stay in or around Barcelona, with all the extra costs and logistical headaches that entails.
Madrid, Palma, Alicante and Other Hotspots Hit
While Barcelona suffered the highest concentration of cancellations, the disruption did not stop there. Madrid Barajas, Spain’s primary intercontinental hub, also reported a significant number of cancelled and heavily delayed services. Previous incidents have shown how quickly problems at one major airport can spread. When Heathrow Airport temporarily shut down in March 2025 due to a power failure, for example, 17 flights were cancelled at Barcelona and nearly 20 more at Madrid and other Spanish airports as carriers were unable to operate their usual rotations.
Similar patterns emerged on 12 February 2026. Palma de Mallorca and Alicante, both among Spain’s most important leisure airports, saw services to Barcelona, Madrid and Northern European cities axed as aircraft found themselves out of position. This phenomenon is a standard feature of modern aviation networks. Aircraft and crew rotate through multiple cities each day, so a cancellation or severe delay on one leg can quickly translate into multiple missed flights elsewhere. By the early afternoon, social media posts from passengers stranded in Palma, Alicante, Valencia and Malaga suggested that Spain was facing a nationwide wave of operational turmoil rather than an isolated local glitch.
Smaller airports were not spared either. With airlines forced to reshuffle their assets at short notice, some secondary routes lost their only daily connection altogether. For passengers in regional cities, that meant a complete loss of options for the day and a scramble for alternative travel by rail or coach. The result was crowded train stations and bus terminals in addition to overwhelmed departure halls at airports.
Why This Happened: A Perfect Storm of Vulnerabilities
In a system as complex as European air travel, there is rarely a single cause for widespread disruption. Spain’s recent history illustrates how a range of triggers can spark major breakdowns. Torrential rains in Catalonia in November 2025 led to 47 cancelled flights at Barcelona and forced the closure of rail lines across the region. A continent‑wide power outage in April 2025 grounded more than 400 flights, with Madrid and Barcelona each losing around 50 departures in one day. At other times, air traffic control issues, strikes at foreign airports or severe weather elsewhere in Europe have forced Spanish carriers to cancel dozens of services to protect schedules.
Several structural factors make Barcelona and its sister airports particularly vulnerable. Passenger numbers have climbed to record highs without equivalent expansion in capacity and resilience. Aena’s own leadership has acknowledged that expanding Barcelona’s terminals and runways is crucial to transforming it into a full‑fledged international hub, but that long‑debated project is still years away from completion. Until then, peaks in demand leave little slack in the system to absorb shocks, whether they come from thunderstorms over the Mediterranean or technical outages affecting navigation or ground operations.
The share of low‑cost and high‑frequency short‑haul flights in Spain’s traffic mix also plays a role. Airlines operating tight turnarounds with minimal ground time and lean staffing are highly efficient when everything runs smoothly. When problems arise, however, there is less redundancy in crew rosters and aircraft availability. As a result, a wave of cancellations can build quickly and be slow to unwind, particularly if disruption coincides with busy periods like school holidays, weekends or major events in Barcelona and Madrid.
How Airlines and Airports Are Responding
In the immediate aftermath of the cancellations, airlines serving Barcelona, Madrid, Palma and Alicante activated their standard disruption playbooks. These typically include offering rebooking on the next available flight, sometimes on partner carriers, and providing meal vouchers or hotel accommodation where required under European passenger protection rules. Some airlines also launched additional “rescue” services or upgauged aircraft to larger models on key trunk routes in order to move as many stranded passengers as possible once operations began to stabilise.
In recent days, carriers have shown a willingness to adjust capacity in response to broader transport chaos. Following serious train disruptions between Barcelona and Madrid caused by rail accidents earlier in February, for instance, Vueling temporarily reinstated a high‑frequency air shuttle linking the two cities to ease pressure on ground transport. This readiness to flex schedules may again prove crucial as airlines work through the backlog created by the 12 February meltdown.
Aena and the national air navigation service, ENAIRE, have also faced growing scrutiny over how they handle crisis situations. During past major weather events, the airport operator has implemented special protocols, such as crisis committees at Barcelona and other key hubs, to coordinate responses between airlines, ground handlers, security teams and local authorities. These measures include imposing temporary restrictions on take‑offs and landings when safety is at risk, as well as deploying extra staff to manage queues and assist passengers in rebooking and finding accommodation.
Your Rights if Your Flight Is Cancelled or Delayed
For travellers caught up in the chaos, understanding passenger rights is essential. Flights departing from Barcelona, Madrid, Palma, Alicante and other Spanish airports are covered by European air passenger regulations. Under these rules, passengers are generally entitled to assistance and, in many cases, financial compensation when their flights are cancelled or significantly delayed, unless the airline can demonstrate that the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances such as severe weather or air traffic control restrictions beyond its control.
If your flight was cancelled, you are typically entitled to a choice between a full refund of the unused ticket or an alternative flight to your final destination at the earliest opportunity. In some cases, you may also choose to rebook for a later date. When passengers are re‑routed and must wait for several hours or overnight, airlines are obliged to provide care, which may include meals, refreshments and hotel accommodation along with transport between the airport and the hotel.
Compensation amounts depend on the length of the flight and the length of the delay on arrival. However, it is important to be aware that airlines can lawfully refuse compensation when they can prove that extraordinary circumstances were responsible for the disruption and that all reasonable steps were taken to avoid it. Consumer organisations have frequently highlighted disputes around what qualifies as extraordinary, particularly in cases of weather, power outages or knock‑on effects from issues at other airports. Travellers are advised to keep all receipts, boarding passes and written communications from airlines in order to support any future claims.
Practical Steps for Travellers Caught in the Chaos
For those still trying to reach or leave Barcelona, Madrid, Palma, Alicante and other affected destinations, quick and informed action can make a major difference. The first and most immediate step is to use digital tools. Airline apps and text alerts often reflect changes to flight status faster than airport screens or phone helplines. If you receive notice of a cancellation or lengthy delay, try to request rebooking through the app or website before joining a queue at the airport service desk, as available seats on alternative connections can disappear within minutes.
Passengers should also consider alternative routes and modes of transport. Spain’s high‑speed rail network links Barcelona and Madrid with many provincial cities, and while recent rail chaos has shown that trains are not immune to disruption, they can still provide a vital backup option. On heavily affected days, coaches and regional trains may offer the only realistic means of reaching smaller towns. Insurance policies that include trip interruption cover may reimburse additional travel and accommodation costs, but conditions vary, so it is important to read the fine print.
Communication with employers, hotels and tour operators is equally crucial. Many accommodation providers and car hire companies have become more flexible with change and cancellation policies when presented with proof of airline disruption. Screenshots of airline messages, airport statements and news coverage can help when negotiating waivers of no‑show fees or penalties. For those travelling with children, elderly relatives or passengers with reduced mobility, making airlines aware of special assistance needs as early as possible improves the chances of receiving priority help when rebooking.
What This Means for Future Travel Through Barcelona and Spain
The events of 12 February 2026 will add to mounting pressure on Spain’s aviation authorities and airlines to strengthen resilience as passenger numbers continue to climb. Barcelona’s airport is already operating at record levels, and Aena has indicated that expansion is necessary if the city is to consolidate its role as a Mediterranean hub in the coming decade. Until new infrastructure comes online, however, travellers using El Prat and other busy Spanish airports should expect that periods of intense disruption may recur, particularly during winter storms, summer heatwaves or cross‑border technical incidents.
For the wider travel industry, the incident is a reminder that diversification across different modes of transport is vital. The recent decision by Vueling to restore an air shuttle while rail links were unreliable shows how aviation can step in when the rail network struggles, but it also highlights the risk of over‑reliance on any single mode of transport. Policymakers are likely to debate how to better coordinate contingency planning across airports, railways and ports so that Spain’s tourism‑dependent economy is less exposed when one part of the system fails.
For individual travellers, the lesson is twofold. First, travel plans in and out of Barcelona, Madrid, Palma, Alicante and other major hubs should incorporate buffers where possible, especially when connecting onward to cruises, long‑haul flights or important events. Second, investing in robust travel insurance, keeping meticulous records and understanding your rights under European regulations can soften the blow when disruptions strike. As the skies over Spain gradually clear after yet another day of airport chaos, the focus will turn to how quickly and effectively airlines and authorities can rebuild confidence ahead of the next busy travel season.