#airportsNominees ’26

Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas (MAD)

Spain

Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (IATA: MAD) is the main international airport of Madrid, the capital of Spain. It lies within the city limits, 13 km northeast of the historic centre, and covers 3,050 hectares, making it the second-largest airport in Europe by area after Paris–Charles de Gaulle. It is the main hub of Iberia, Iberia Express, Air Europa and several other Spanish airlines.

Condé Nast Traveller (UK) readers ranked Madrid-Barajas No. 7 in the Readers' Choice Awards 2026 list of the best airports in the world, with a score of 90.23. The passage from the magazine is a ranking table and adds no further comment.

The airport opened in 1931 and takes its name from the neighbouring district of Barajas. In 2014, after the death of Adolfo Suárez, Spain's first Prime Minister after the Franco dictatorship, it was renamed in his honour. In 2025 it handled 68.1 million passengers, making it Spain's busiest airport and the fifth-busiest in Europe, and Wikipedia describes it as a key link between Europe and Latin America.

Sources of this text: Wikipedia · Condé Nast Traveller (UK)

Place =3

In 1 of 3 rankings, together with 13 others named by the same number of rankings. The more trusted rankings name an entry, the higher its place; inside a shared place, votes decide the order.

0 votes · 0 voters

1 vote ($1.99) to pass Adelaide Airport

Named by

Condé Nast Traveller (UK)Readers' Choice Awards 2026 - The best airports in the world — No. 7

Next to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas (MAD)

All of the best airports in the world · How the places work