Spain’s air navigation services provider ENAIRE registered a total of 2,017 requests for the coordination of drone operations in Spain during the first quarter of 2026, which represents an increase of 7.9% compared to the same period in 2025, when 1,870 operations were reached.
“This moderate growth points to a change in trend in the evolution of the sector, consolidating a path of sustained increase in drone activity in Spain, especially in environments where coordination with the air navigation manager is required to guarantee the safety of operations,” ENAIRE said.
From a regional perspective, the data shows a heterogeneous trend across the autonomous communities. Catalonia (531 transactions) and Madrid (397) continue to lead in activity volume, with increases of 8.1% and 7.0%, respectively. The growth recorded in the Basque Country, reaching 200 transactions (+21.2%), is also noteworthy. Some other regions show particularly significant growth in relative terms, such as Castilla-La Mancha (101 operations compared to 3 in 2025) or Castilla y León (25 compared to 4).
In contrast, other communities experienced declines compared to the first quarter of the previous year, such as Andalusia (-6.7%), the Canary Islands (-25.2%) or the Valencian Community (-18.4%), reflecting the territorial variability in the implementation and development of drone use.
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