Direct flights to Spain from the US and Asia 2026-2027: route map for MICE groups by airport

Last updated: October 2026. Written by Borja Llopart, CEO and founder, CREA Group Events & DMC. Routes and frequencies reviewed on October 23, 2026.

Direct flights to Spain from the United States leave from 13 cities in 2026 for six Spanish destinations, 27 connections in all according to Spain's national tourism board, and Valencia and Ibiza join the map in 2027. From Asia, Madrid and Barcelona take flights from China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore, with up to 87 weekly frequencies to China in summer 2026. For a group, the season matters as much as the city, because several routes only fly in summer. This guide shows which Spanish airport your attendees can reach, in which months, and what that changes on the ground.

Direct, nonstop or connecting: how to read this inventory. A nonstop flight does not stop between origin and destination. A direct flight keeps the same flight number but may make an intermediate stop, and that stop does not guarantee passengers stay on board. A connection combines separate flights. Every table in this guide tells you which of the three you are looking at.

Each route carries one of these statuses: operating in the season shown, seasonal, announced for 2027, paused, or strategic target with no airline announcement. Frequencies apply only to the period their source covers: an airline that announces no changes has not confirmed the same schedule for 2027. Before you block seats for a group, confirm the current schedule and group allotments with the airline.

INDEX

→ Which US cities have direct flights to Spain in 2026-2027?
→ Nonstop route map, US to Spain, by airport
→ Which Asian cities have direct flights to Spain in 2026-2027?
→ What changes for an incentive group flying in from Asia
→ Barcelona's CDRA and the routes that do not exist yet
→ Other markets: Middle East, Latin America and Africa
→ Incentive destinations in Spain and how to reach each one
→ Winter or summer: why your event dates matter more than the city
→ Direct flights to Barcelona or Madrid for a corporate group
→ The best Spanish city for a MICE group flying from New York
→ No direct flights to Seville? Air and rail options
→ What a nonstop route changes on arrival day
→ 📌 For US planners: entry rules and moving your group between cities
→ Key figures
→ Frequently asked questions

Which US cities have direct flights to Spain in 2026-2027?

Published 2026 and 2027 schedules show nonstop flights to Spain from 13 US metro areas: New York (JFK and Newark), Boston, Miami, Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, Washington Dulles, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orlando, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Seattle. Madrid is served from 12 of them (all except Seattle). Tourspain, using OAG data, counts 27 direct connections for 2026.

These new routes and changes matter for 2027 planning:

• ➝ Charlotte to Barcelona, American Airlines, daily from May 27, 2027 on a Boeing 777-200ER. American calls it its sixth US gateway to Barcelona (American Airlines, August 27, 2026).

• ➝ Newark to Valencia, United, three weekly flights from June 2, 2027 on an Airbus A321XLR, subject to government approval (United, August 25, 2026). It would be the first nonstop flight from the US to Valencia.

• ➝ Newark to Ibiza, United, four weekly flights from May 31, 2027, also on the A321XLR and subject to approval (same United release).

• ➝ Newark to Bilbao and Santiago de Compostela, United, three weekly flights each in summer 2026: Bilbao from May 30 and Santiago from May 27 (United, April 28, 2026). United confirms Santiago returns in summer 2027 with about three weekly flights*, and Bilbao is expected to repeat its summer operation*.

• ➝ Newark to Palma goes daily in 2027: three weekly flights from March 29 and seven from May 27, on a 231-seat Boeing 767-400ER (Hosteltur, October 3, 2026).

• ➝ LEVEL, Boston and Los Angeles to Barcelona. Our September research found both routes suspended for winter 2026-2027. The official LEVEL promotion sells travel until October 25, 2026, the date both routes stop flying this winter*. LEVEL flights are also sold under Iberia flight numbers, so a "nonstop Iberia" Los Angeles-Barcelona result in a search engine is the same service, not a second flight.

• ➝ JetBlue's Boston to Barcelona is seasonal: daily from April 16 to October 25, 2026, with no 2027 dates announced (JetBlue, April 16, 2026).

If you work with a DMC (a destination management company: the local partner that handles on-the-ground logistics, suppliers and operations for a group arriving from abroad), this list is the first filter, before venues or hotels. A DMC in Spain should be able to tell you on one call which of your attendees' home cities have a direct flight, and in which months.

Nonstop route map, US to Spain, by airport

In 2026, six Spanish airports have nonstop flights from the US: Madrid (13 origins in the 2026-2027 inventory), Barcelona (13), and Malaga, Palma, Bilbao and Santiago (Newark, in summer). In 2027 the number rises to eight if Valencia and Ibiza are approved. Seville has no route. The tables below list each route, its airlines, its season and weekly flights.

We do not add up active routes for 2026-2027 into a single figure, because that would mix services from different seasons with future announcements. The tables already include the October 2026 updates: where later data corrects September data, the later figure is shown.

Madrid (MAD)

Barcelona (BCN)

What each of these routes means for a group (arrival days, terminal and landing time) is covered in new El Prat routes and what they mean for your group.

Other Spanish airports

Sources: press releases from American (08/27/2026), United (04/28/2026 and 08/25/2026), JetBlue (04/16/2026) and Iberia, Madrid-Dallas schedule; Tourspain; Hosteltur (Delta) and Hosteltur (Palma); winter 2026-27 schedules reported by AeroRoutes (American, United, Delta, Iberia, United MWC).

* Approximate: the previous season's frequency published by the airline (Iberia, winter 2025-26) or the route's usual operation, because the exact figure had not been published as of October 19, 2026.

AeroRoutes figures are schedules published by a specialist outlet, not a guarantee of operation, and Aena notes that its destination data depends on what airlines schedule. Do not sell these frequencies as confirmed seats.

For an agency handling US groups, the tables answer the client's first question ("can my people fly nonstop?") in one line per city. The rest of this guide covers what the tables do not show: season, connections and transfers.

👉 Share your attendees' home cities and dates with CREA: within 24 business hours we reply with a first read of the nonstop options into the five Spanish airports that best fit your group.

Which Asian cities have direct flights to Spain in 2026-2027?

Madrid and Barcelona have direct flights from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul and Singapore. With China, Tourspain counted up to 87 weekly frequencies in summer 2026. Not all of them are nonstop: Haikou-Madrid stops in Chongqing and Singapore-Madrid stops in Barcelona. The tables separate each case and the season of each frequency.

The Tourspain figure (June 4, 2026) is an aggregate for Spain and China: it is not the number of routes or airlines, not a per-airport frequency, and it does not guarantee the same volume in winter or in 2027. The data in this section comes from airline releases, Aena, Tourspain, Hosteltur and the CDRA, reviewed on October 19, 2026.

Direct flights from Asia to Madrid, 2026-2027

In June 2026, Aena reported that Madrid had 13 Asian destinations served by ten airlines, nine of them in China (Aena, June 21, 2026). That list does not mean 13 nonstop flights: Aena itself notes that Haikou is served with a stop in Chongqing.

Sources: Iberia, 11/11/2025; Iberia, July 2026; Tourspain, winter 2026 updates; Hainan Airlines; Aena. * Approximate: the route's usual frequency or operator, because the source did not publish the exact figure as of October 19, 2026; for Tokyo, Iberia places the end of the extra flight in November.

Direct flights from Asia to Barcelona, 2026-2027

In August 2026 the CDRA reported that Barcelona reached nine routes to Asia flown by eight airlines, with service to Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul and Baku (Hosteltur, August 6, 2026). The breakdown separates peak-season frequencies and airline changes.

* Approximate: the route's usual frequency, because the CDRA report did not publish the exact figure. Source for rows without their own link: CDRA report as covered by Hosteltur (08/06/2026).

Singapore-Barcelona-Madrid: two Spanish destinations, one flight number.

Singapore Airlines is replacing its five weekly Barcelona flights (two nonstop and three via Milan) with five Singapore-Barcelona-Madrid services between October 26, 2026 and March 27, 2027, on a 253-seat long-range A350-900. SQ388 leaves Singapore at 11:30 p.m., reaches Barcelona at 6:40 a.m. and Madrid at 8:50 a.m. The Barcelona leg is nonstop; for anyone ending in Madrid, it is a direct flight with a stop (Singapore Airlines, May 8, 2026).

China to Spain 2026-2027: frequencies, capacity and origin cities

China deserves its own treatment. The 87 weekly direct frequencies of summer 2026 cover the whole country and include direct commercial flights, so they should not be used as a count of nonstop services. In Madrid, the inventory includes Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Hong Kong and other cities listed by Aena, plus Haikou with a stop in Chongqing. In Barcelona, the network includes Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

Japan, South Korea and Singapore

• ➝ Japan. Iberia flies Tokyo Narita-Madrid nonstop, with three weekly frequencies as a base and temporary extra flights in spring and summer 2026. From late October the flight moves to an overnight schedule in both directions. Do not confuse the CDRA's goal of linking Tokyo and Barcelona with an announced route: it is not one.

• ➝ South Korea. Aena lists Seoul as a destination served from Madrid in June 2026, and the CDRA confirms Barcelona-Seoul service in summer 2026. Korean Air flies to Madrid about three times a week*, and Asiana and T'way fly to Barcelona three to four times each*.

• ➝ Singapore. Five weekly Singapore-Barcelona-Madrid frequencies between October 2026 and March 2027: the first leg is nonstop and the trip to Madrid is direct with a stop.

In all three markets, seat blocks, arrival dates, service languages, documentation and onward transfers to Seville, Valencia, the Costa del Sol or the Balearic Islands should start from the group's actual flight, not from an annual average frequency.

What is new for Asia-Spain in 2027: confirmed versus possible

Only Singapore Airlines publishes an official schedule through March 2027. For the other routes, the absence of announced changes suggests continuity but does not confirm it, and summer 2026 peak frequencies should not be projected across all of 2027. Tokyo-Barcelona, Delhi-Barcelona and Bangkok-Barcelona are CDRA priorities, not announced flights.

What changes for an incentive group flying in from Asia

Madrid and Barcelona both work as gateways from Asia, and the right choice depends on the origin city, whether a nonstop exists, operating days, seat availability and the program on the ground. A route that ends in Madrid after stopping in Barcelona is not the same as a nonstop flight to Madrid.

• ➝ Origin and time window. A group from Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing or Singapore is not planned with the same arrival times or overnight logic as one from New York. On the winter schedule, Iberia's Tokyo flight lands in Madrid at 5:45 a.m. and Singapore Airlines lands in Barcelona at 6:40 a.m.: the group arrives before any hotel check-in opens.

• ➝ Capacity and seat blocks. Three weekly flights limit outbound and return combinations, and even a daily flight may not take a large block on a single departure. Check the block with the airline or a consolidator; do not infer it from aircraft size (253 seats on the Singapore Airlines A350, 348 on Iberia's Tokyo A350).

• ➝ Direct with a stop versus nonstop. Haikou-Chongqing-Madrid and Singapore-Barcelona-Madrid (for those ending in Madrid) are direct flights with a stop. They belong on the map, but the group needs to know the total journey time, how passengers are handled during the stop and the arrival process.

• ➝ Distribution across Spanish destinations. Programs in Seville, Valencia, the Costa del Sol, the Balearics or the Basque Country require the same analysis of domestic flights, trains and ground transport as a US group.

• ➝ Documentation and coordination. Entry requirements depend on each attendee's nationality and status, not on the departure airport. A DMC should request that information early and point to official consular sources for visas and documents.

👉 Is your group flying from Asia? Send us home cities, nationalities and dates: within 24 business hours we reply with the direct and nonstop options into Madrid and Barcelona.

Barcelona's CDRA and the routes that do not exist yet

Behind every new route there are airline commercial decisions and promotion work by airports and institutions. In Barcelona this is the job of the Air Route Development Committee (CDRA), created in 2005, which has helped take the airport from 17 to 59 intercontinental destinations and from 1 million to nearly 8 million intercontinental passengers in 20 years.

The CDRA brings together the Government of Catalonia, Barcelona City Council, the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and Aena. Its 2030 Strategic Plan, presented on June 2, 2026, prioritizes intercontinental routes, more frequencies and year-round demand, with a focus on Asia-Pacific, China, Japan, India, North America and Latin America. The committee estimates that 5.3 million intercontinental passengers starting or ending their trip in Barcelona used indirect itineraries in 2025 (Barcelona Chamber of Commerce). A new airline benefits hotels, venues, transport companies, event agencies and DMCs.

Strategic routes that are not yet flight announcements

Lima shows how fast this map changes: the plan listed it as an opportunity on June 2 and LEVEL began flying Barcelona-Lima on June 3. The CDRA also identifies more than 70 unserved strategic routes. Barcelona will host Routes World 2027, the global air route development forum, in October 2027, ten years after the city first hosted it.

Other markets: flights to Spain from the Middle East, Latin America and Africa in 2026-2027

Beyond the US and Asia, Spain has nonstop flights from the Middle East, Latin America and Africa. They round out the MICE picture but are not mixed into the two priority inventories or counted as US or Asian routes. Connections through a Gulf or Turkish hub can work for Asian attendees, but they are not nonstop Asia-Spain flights.

Incentive destinations in Spain for US and Asian groups: how to reach each one

Madrid and Barcelona are the two gateways with the most routes, and the rest of Spain's incentive destinations are reached with a seasonal nonstop or a domestic connection. Madrid was named the world's and Europe's best incentive destination at the 2026 World MICE Awards; Barcelona is the world's third city for international congresses according to ICCA. These rankings measure different categories; they are not an overall country ranking.

• ➝ Barcelona and Catalonia: city, food, heritage, Montserrat, Penedès, Sitges and the Costa Brava. Access: nonstop from 13 US airports in the 2026-2027 inventory and from Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Singapore and Seoul.

• ➝ Madrid: city programs and day trips to Toledo or Segovia. Access: 13 US origins, with more routes confirmed in winter, plus Tokyo, Hong Kong, Guangzhou and other Chinese cities.

• ➝ Seville and Andalusia: palaces, haciendas, food and heritage. Access: via Madrid, by high-speed rail or domestic flight.

• ➝ Malaga, Marbella and the Costa del Sol: resorts, golf, sea and private events. Access: Newark in summer; in winter, a connection through Madrid. Riyadh Air flew Riyadh-Malaga from July 14 to September 8, 2026.

• ➝ Mallorca and Ibiza: Mediterranean recognition and hospitality programs. Access: Palma from Newark (daily from May 27, 2027) and from Abu Dhabi in summer; Ibiza from Newark from May 31, 2027, if approved.

• ➝ Valencia: architecture, food and coastline. Access: Newark from June 2, 2027, if approved; today, via Madrid by high-speed rail.

• ➝ Bilbao, San Sebastián and the Basque Country: fine dining, culture and wineries. Access: Bilbao from Newark in summer (3 weekly in 2026).

Sources: Madrid City Council (2026 World MICE Awards); Government of Catalonia, Catalonia.com (ICCA 2025: 166 congresses, 25 consecutive years in the top five); Riyadh Air via CAPA (Malaga).

Connectivity gets your group in; the incentive itself depends on hotels, venues, activities, transport, hospitality and local coordination. CREA Group Events & DMC, founded in 2007, headquartered in Barcelona with a Madrid branch office and nationwide coverage across Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Valencia, Mallorca and Malaga, designs and runs these programs for international clients.

Winter or summer: why your event dates matter more than the city

For US groups traveling between December and February, winter schedules confirm nonstop flights to Madrid from New York JFK and Newark, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, Philadelphia and, outside January and most of February, Washington Dulles. Barcelona is confirmed from JFK and Miami, and from Dulles with a January break. Malaga, Palma, Bilbao, Santiago, Valencia and Ibiza have no nonstop flight from the US in winter.

Budgeting a February incentive around a route that only starts in spring is an easy mistake. Examples from the winter 2026-27 schedules:

• ➝ United stops flying from Washington Dulles from January 5 to February 18, 2027 to Madrid, and until February 10, 2027 to Barcelona. That is exactly the window of many incentive trips.

• ➝ American suspends Dallas-Fort Worth to Barcelona from November 19, 2026 to March 2, 2027, and Chicago to Madrid from December 1, 2026 to March 3, 2027. Iberia keeps Chicago-Madrid at six or seven weekly flights.

• ➝ Delta cuts Atlanta-Madrid from daily to three weekly flights between January 4 and February 19, 2027.

• ➝ United's Newark routes to Malaga, Palma, Bilbao and Santiago are summer routes. A corporate retreat on the Costa del Sol in January means a connection, usually through Madrid.

It also works the other way. In summer 2026, Madrid added Los Angeles, San Francisco and Orlando; Barcelona added Seattle; and Newark launched Santiago and brought back Bilbao, Malaga and Palma. For 2027, Charlotte-Barcelona, Newark-Ibiza, Newark-Valencia and daily Palma from May are announced. If your dates are flexible, the flight map is a reason to move a program from March to May, not just the weather.

• ➝ From Asia the seasonality is different: Singapore Airlines schedules Singapore-Barcelona-Madrid precisely in winter (October 26, 2026 to March 27, 2027), while Cathay Pacific's Hong Kong-Barcelona is mainly a summer route.

🔴 A reduced frequency matters as much as a pause: on a route with three weekly flights, a group of 80 may need two or three arrival days. Check the exact weekly pattern for your dates before you fix the arrival day.

Direct flights to Barcelona or Madrid for a corporate group

Madrid and Barcelona have nonstop flights from the same number of US airports in the 2026-2027 inventory (13 each), but more of Madrid’s are confirmed in winter, because Iberia has its hub there. Barcelona has fewer year-round US gateways, more nonstop routes to East Asia, and a metro line to the terminals. For a group flying in from several US cities, Madrid usually means fewer connections.

A practical way to decide:

Sources: route tables above; Aena, 2025 traffic (January 13, 2026); Aena Madrid taxi page; Visit Madrid; TMB, metro to the airport; AMB, 2026 taxi fares. USD at the ECB reference rate of €1 = $1.1253 (October 16, 2026). According to TMB, the T-grup and T-casual cards are not valid at the airport stations: you need the Airport ticket or another valid card.

The airport rarely decides on its own. A congress already committed to Fira Barcelona, or an incentive built around the Mediterranean, will go to Barcelona even if part of the group connects. What the flight data changes is the connections line in the budget and the size of the arrival window. If the program is already set for Barcelona, our guide to direct flights to Barcelona covers the winter windows from the US, the terminal for each airline and transfer times to each venue zone.

👉 If you are comparing both cities for the same brief, our events agency in Spain works from its Barcelona headquarters and its Madrid branch office.

The best Spanish city for a MICE group flying from New York

From New York, Madrid and Barcelona both have year-round nonstop service from JFK on several airlines, so either works in any month. In summer, Newark also flies to Malaga, Palma, Bilbao and Santiago, and in 2027 adds Valencia and Ibiza if approved. No other US airport connects nonstop with as many Spanish airports.

For a New York group, the decision depends less on access and more on the program:

• ➝ Madrid has four airlines from JFK (Iberia, Delta, American, Air Europa), plus Iberia and United from Newark. Useful when attendees book their own flights.

• ➝ Barcelona has three airlines from JFK (American, Delta, LEVEL), plus United from Newark in summer, and a metro line from the terminal.

• ➝ Palma, Malaga, Bilbao, Santiago, Valencia and Ibiza work from New York only in the summer season, with a single United route to each. Palma goes daily from May 27, 2027 on a 231-seat aircraft; Valencia will have three weekly flights and Ibiza four. For a group of more than 100, one flight rarely carries everyone: plan a second wave of arrivals through Madrid.

Eastbound transatlantic flights leave in the evening and land in the morning. American's new Charlotte-Barcelona, for example, is scheduled to leave at 4:50 p.m. and arrive at 7:35 a.m. the next day. Plan a light first day, not a full program.

No direct flights to Seville? Air and rail options (and Valencia in 2027)

No airline has announced a nonstop flight from the US to Seville for 2026-2027, and Valencia gets its first one, from Newark, in June 2027 if approved. For both cities, the usual route for a US group is a direct flight to Madrid followed by high-speed rail (AVE) from Madrid Atocha or a short domestic flight. The train is usually simpler for a group: one transfer and no second check-in.

What to check before you commit:

• ➝ From Barajas to the train: There is no high-speed rail at the airport. Cercanías commuter line C1 runs from Terminal 4 to Chamartín and Atocha, and Aena says it is free for passengers holding an AVE ticket connected to a flight (Aena, trains in Madrid). For a group with luggage, a private coach to Atocha is usually more practical.

• ➝ Madrid to Seville and Valencia by train: Both high-speed lines have run with temporary speed restrictions during 2026, so the journey may take longer than many planners still quote. Take the time from Renfe's timetable search for your date and leave margin for the transfer to the first venue.

• ➝ Once there: Seville airport is about 10 km (6 miles) from the center, 30-35 minutes on the EA bus (Visit Sevilla). Valencia airport is 8 km (5 miles) from the city, about 20 minutes by metro (Visit Valencia).

Seville and Valencia are not harder destinations for a group; they need one more logistics decision.

What a nonstop route changes on arrival day

A nonstop route removes the most common arrival-day problem: missed connections that scatter a group across several flights. It does not remove the need to plan arrival waves. US flights tend to land through the morning, and Asian flights arrive in different windows depending on the routing, sometimes before dawn.

What to plan, whatever the airport:

1️⃣ Arrival waves, not a single transfer.
Group the flight list by landing time and size coaches per wave. The alternative is a coach waiting two hours for the last ten people.

2️⃣ Seat blocks per flight.
On a route with one daily flight or less, an 80-seat block may not be available. Check before you promise a nonstop flight in the proposal.

3️⃣ Rooms before check-in time.
Arrivals after an overnight flight need early check-in or a hospitality space. With landings like Tokyo's in Madrid at 5:45 a.m., budget for it from the start.

4️⃣ Airport to venue time, not airport to city.
The public transit times in this guide are to the city center. The time to your hotel or venue at rush hour is the one that goes into the run of show.

👉 A meeting planner in Spain or a convention organizer in Spain should run this exercise with your attendee list before you sign the venue contract.

Hosting an international group from the US or Asia in Spain?

Overlapping arrivals and departures are where these points are tested. In a back-to-back program we ran in Barcelona, more than 1,700 international attendees went through five identical editions in six days: while one group attended its plenary and left the city, the next was landing and joined that same afternoon. Attendance reached 99.4% of confirmed registrants and the program closed 8.9% under the initial budget.

👉 CREA reviews your group's home cities and logistics: the first reply to an inquiry arrives within 24 business hours.

📌 For US planners: entry rules and moving your group between cities

• ➝ Entry. The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) has run at all Schengen borders since April 10, 2026, with fingerprints and a photo taken at first entry (European Commission). ETIAS, the pre-travel authorization for visa-exempt travelers such as US citizens, is scheduled for the last quarter of 2026 with a transition period, according to the EU Delegation to the US. Check its status on the official portal before each trip.

• ➝ Madrid-Barcelona. High-speed trains run with Renfe, Iryo and Ouigo; since February 5, 2026, speed restrictions add about 25 minutes and the last trains of the day were cut, according to EFE. Iberia, Vueling and Air Europa fly the route.

• ➝ Madrid-Seville. Iryo resumed the route on February 17, 2026 with 14 daily trains, 7 each way (Iryo).

• ➝ Barajas and high-speed rail. The Chamartín-T4 high-speed link has no opening date yet (Ministry of Transport, May 20, 2026); the C1 commuter line remains the connection.

Key figures on direct flights to Spain from the US and Asia (2026-2027)

• ➝ 27 direct connections between 13 US cities and six Spanish destinations in 2026. (Source: Tourspain, May 11, 2026)

• ➝ Nearly 2 million seats on direct US-Spain flights between April 1 and September 30, 2026 (+8.3%), on about 8,000 flights (+11.1%). (Source: Tourspain using OAG data, August 12, 2026)

• ➝ Up to 87 weekly direct frequencies between China and Spain in summer 2026, a nationwide aggregate that is not added to the US routes. (Source: Tourspain, June 4, 2026)

• ➝ Newark: nonstop to six Spanish airports in 2026 (Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, Palma, Bilbao and Santiago) and to eight in 2027 if Valencia and Ibiza are approved. (Source: United, August 25, 2026)

• ➝ 0 nonstop flights from the US to Seville announced for 2026-2027. (Source: airline schedules, October 19, 2026)

Frequently asked questions about direct flights to Spain

Which US cities have direct flights to Spain in 2027?

In published schedules, 13 US metro areas have nonstop flights to Spain: New York, Boston, Miami, Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orlando, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Seattle. New for 2027: Charlotte-Barcelona from May 27, Newark-Ibiza from May 31 and Newark-Valencia from June 2, the last two subject to approval. Santiago returns in summer and Palma goes daily from May.

Direct flights to Barcelona or Madrid: which works better for a corporate group?

Madrid is the safer choice when attendees fly from many US cities: both have 13 origins in the inventory, but Madrid has more routes confirmed in winter. From New York both work year-round from JFK; Madrid offers more airlines and Barcelona a metro line from the terminal, with a transfer to reach the center. Barcelona suits programs built around the Mediterranean or Fira Barcelona and has more nonstop routes to East Asia.

Are there nonstop flights from the US to Seville, Malaga, Mallorca or Valencia?

Not to Seville: the usual route is a direct flight to Madrid, then high-speed rail or a domestic flight. Malaga and Palma have nonstops only in the summer season and only from Newark on United; Palma goes daily from May 27, 2027. Valencia gets three weekly flights from Newark from June 2, 2027, if approved. With a single route, a group of more than 100 usually needs a second arrival wave through Madrid.

Can a direct flight make a stop without changing flight number?

Yes. A direct flight can keep the same flight number and include an intermediate stop; a nonstop flight does not stop. Haikou-Chongqing-Madrid (Hainan Airlines) and Singapore-Barcelona-Madrid (Singapore Airlines) are two examples. Disembarkation procedures during the stop should be confirmed with each airline, because they change the real journey time and the group's arrival process.

Which Asian cities have direct flights to Spain, and how many are there from China?

Aena, the CDRA, Tourspain and the airlines document flights from Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Hong Kong, plus Tokyo, Seoul and Singapore. With China, Tourspain counted up to 87 weekly frequencies in summer 2026: a peak aggregate, not 87 routes, and no guarantee of the same volume in winter. Iberia flies Tokyo-Madrid nonstop three times a week as a base, and Singapore Airlines flies Singapore-Barcelona five times.

Next steps

➝ Compare destinations first.
Our overview of the top MICE destinations in Spain covers what each city offers beyond the airport, and why US companies choose Spain for MICE makes the business case. Both complement this guide's flight inventory; they do not replace it.

➝ Ask for a route benchmark for your group.
Whether your attendees fly from the US or from Asia, send CREA their home cities, the month, possible dates and approximate headcount. We prepare a connectivity benchmark into the five Spanish airports that best fit the program: nonstop flights, seasons, connection options and logistics. Write to our DMC team in Spain: we answer initial inquiries within 24 business hours, and the timeline for the full analysis is agreed based on the group's complexity.

About the author

Borja Llopart

Borja Llopart is the CEO and founder of CREA Group Events & DMC. With over 20 years of experience in the MICE industry, he specialises in organising corporate events, congresses, meetings and incentive travel programmes in Spain. He served on the Board of Directors of SITE Spain & Portugal for nearly seven years, including as President of the association, and has been a member of the Tourism Committee at Foment del Treball since 2020.

Connect with Borja on LinkedIn →

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Last updated: October 2026.

Sources

• ➝ Airlines (US): American Airlines (08/27/2026) · United, summer 2026 (04/28/2026) · United, 2027 (08/25/2026) · JetBlue (04/16/2026) · Iberia, Madrid-Dallas winter 2026-2027 · Iberia, Madrid-Orlando · LEVEL.

• ➝ Airlines (Asia): Iberia, Tokyo (11/11/2025) · Iberia, Tokyo summer 2026 · Singapore Airlines (05/08/2026) · Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong-Madrid · Hainan Airlines.

• ➝ Tourspain: 27 US-Spain connections (05/11/2026) · US-Spain capacity with OAG (08/12/2026) · China-Spain, 87 frequencies (06/04/2026) · air connectivity 2026 · winter 2026 updates · Asia-Europe connections.

• ➝ Airports and CDRA: Aena, Madrid's Asian destinations · Aena, Madrid airlines · Aena, 2025 traffic · CDRA, 2030 Strategic Plan · CDRA, Asian routes in Hosteltur · Routes World 2027.

• ➝ Other markets: LEVEL Lima in Hosteltur · Riyadh Air in CAPA · Air Europa in ch-aviation.

• ➝ Trade press: Hosteltur, Delta · Hosteltur, Palma 2027 · AeroRoutes: American, United, Delta, Iberia, United MWC, Cathay Barcelona.

• ➝ MICE destinations: Madrid City Council, 2026 World MICE Awards · ICCA 2025, Catalonia.com.

• ➝ Ground transport: Aena, trains in Madrid · TMB · AMB, taxi fares · Renfe, timetables · Iryo · Ministry of Transport · EFE (Madrid-Barcelona restrictions, February 3, 2026) · Visit Madrid, Visit Sevilla, Visit Valencia.

• ➝ EU entry and currency: European Commission, EES · EU Delegation to the US, ETIAS · ECB, euro reference rate.