Low-cost airlines carry half of traffic at Spanish airports in July

Low-cost airlines accounted for over half of the flights out of Spanish airports in the month of July, according to figures published by the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS).

The study showed that 50.7 percent of the 23 million people who used a Spanish airport in July did so on a budget airline, representing a 7.9-percent increase on July 2014.

Budget airlines transported almost 20.2 million passengers during the first seven months of 2015, registering a 9.7-percent increase on 2014.

The main reasons for this are the increasing number of foreign tourists who continue to visit Spain, while growing numbers of Spaniards are also opting to travel abroad again as the economic crisis comes to an end.

Ryanair, EasyJet, and Vueling accounting for 34 percent of all international travelers and 66 percent of all travelers who opted to use a low-cost airline in July. Ryanair transported 3.32 million passengers, Vueling 2.47 million, and Easyjet 1.82 million.

"The three companies have shown a growing development, with Vueling standing out for another month," said the ITS study.

Vueling, which is a stand alone company within the International Airlines Groups, uses Barcelona's El Prat airport as its main hub. The airline also operates flights out of Madrid, Bilbao and Ibiza. Endit