Alicante Airport

Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport (IATA code: ALC, ICAO code: LEAL), also popularly known as Alicante-El Altet, El Altet Airport is located 8 kilometres southwest of the city of Alicante and operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport has gone through several name changes throughout its history. It was long known as El Altet Airport or Alicante-El Altet, a reference to the district of El Altet where it is located, within the municipality of Elche in the province of Alicante. In its most recent renaming in 2021, the surname “Miguel Hernández” was added as a tribute to the renowned poet from Alicante on the 110th anniversary of his birth.

Due to its strategic position in one of Spain’s major tourist regions, Alicante Airport operates predominantly international routes. Around 85% of its passengers come from abroad, mainly from the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands. Its main domestic links connect with Palma de Mallorca airport, Barcelona airport, Madrid airport, and Bilbao.

By passenger volume, Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport ranks fifth in the Spanish airport network, ahead of Valencia despite being the capital of the same autonomous community. It also sits among the 50 busiest airports in Europe. In 2024, it handled 18,387,387 passengers and 116,270 flight operations, marking strong year-on-year growth.

The airport exerts influence over a vast tourist catchment area across the Costa Blanca, stretching primarily through the provinces of Alicante and Murcia, from Denia down to Mazarrón. Key destinations in this region include Benidorm, Calpe, Denia, Jávea, Torrevieja, La Manga del Mar Menor, Orihuela, Murcia and Cartagena. Its traffic is also supported by the economic and industrial activity of inland cities such as Elche, Novelda, Alcoy, Elda-Petrer, Ibi, Villena and even parts of the province of Albacete.

The last major renovation of the airport was completed with the opening of the New Terminal Area (NAT) in 2011, a modern facility capable of handling up to 20 million passengers per year. However, the significant growth of recent years and the structural delay in updating other airport systems led to the need for a new expansion phase, now included in Aena’s DORA III investment plan for 2027-2031.

Under this plan, the old T1 and T2 buildings —which have remained closed for years— will be demolished to make way for a major extension of the current terminal and the construction of a new non-Schengen pier equipped for the EU Entry/Exit System (EES).

The coordinates of the airport premises are as follows: 38° 16′ 55.81″ N, 0° 33′ 29.36″ O. Decimal coordinates: 38.282169°, -0.558156°

Alicante-Elche Airport is assigned the ICAO code LEAL and the IATA code ALC.

Runways

The airport has two runways with alignment 10/28 (101°/279°), length of 3.000x45 meters (9.842x148 feet) at 43 meters above sea level.

Terminals

The airport has one terminal buiding for passengers known as Terminal NAT.

Expansion plans under Airport Regulation Document (DORA) 2027-2031

Aena has announced an ambitious expansion for Alicante–Elche Airport under the DORA III framework (2027–2031), with an estimated investment of €1.1–1.154 billion. The project includes:

• Integrating the former T1 and T2 terminals into a much larger, expanded terminal building, along with the creation of a new General Aviation Terminal.
• Building a new non-Schengen boarding pier with a centralized border control area fully adapted to the EU Entry/Exit System (EES).
• Adding a dedicated VIP lounge for non-Schengen passengers, as well as expanding commercial areas and passenger services.
• Introducing next-generation security technologies, including ATRS and EDS systems, which will allow passengers to pass through security without removing liquids or electronic devices from their hand luggage.
• Upgrading the aircraft apron, creating new commercial spaces, and improving access roads, circulation areas and cargo facilities.

This major expansion will prepare the airport to accommodate a significantly higher passenger volume—potentially up to around 26 million travellers per year—and ensure it meets the EU’s new security and border-control requirements.

Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport (ALC)

Address: Av. de l'Altet, 03195 Elx, Alicante, Spain.
Phone numbers: (+34) 91 321 10 00 | (+34) 96 69 19 106.
The airport operates 24 hours a day, year-round
Email: [email protected]
Suggestions: [email protected]

Other ways to contact:
Queries form
Suggestion and complaints form

Public entities

AENA

Aena, S.A. is a Spanish public company that manages 46 airports and 2 heliports in Spain; the airport in the capital of Spain is one of them. Originally known as Aena Aeropuertos S.A, it adopted by law the name of Aena SME, S.A following the provisions of Royal Decree Law 8 of 4 July 2014.

ENAIRE is the air navigation manager in Spain. Part of the former Aena Aeropuertos S.A., ENAIRE now executes exclusively responsibilities related to airport and air navigation activities, in addition to performing the national and international operational coordination of the Spanish air traffic control network.

Contact for people with hearing and/or speech impairment:

Aena provides a dedicated WhatsApp number for passengers with hearing and/or speech impairments.

Aena WhatsApp service for passengers with hearing disabilities.

Complaints and claims: For clarifications, suggestions and complaints regarding airport facilities and services (cleaning, air conditioning, information service, security services, etc.) you can access Aena's telematic services portal.

If you wish to file a complaint about a restaurant service (cafeterias, restaurants, etc.), please note that they have their own Official Catering Complaint Book, where you can submit your complaint or suggestion directly at the establishment.

Educational airport visits for schoolchildren

Airport facilities can be visited free of charge by schoolchildren and guided by a monitor. For more information, please contact:

External relations office:
[email protected].

Job Opportunities

If you are interested in working in the airport sector with AENA, the airport operator, you can access its job portal, where you will find all available job offers, selection processes, and vacancies in one place.

E-mail: [email protected]

Lost and found office

Lost items found within airport facilities, including waiting areas, boarding lounges, security checkpoints, restrooms, and other public spaces, are deposited at the Lost and Found Office.

If you have lost an item at Alicante Airport, you can inquire at the Lost and Found Office, located in the Arrivals Hall (Level 0) of the terminal. The office is open Monday to Friday, from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM (except on public holidays). You can also contact them by phone at (+34) 913 211 000

Claiming a Lost Item

If you are unable to visit the office in person, please complete the Lost Property Claim Form, providing as many details as possible about the item, and attach a photograph if available. Send the form to [email protected]. If your item is found, the Lost and Found Office will contact you.

To retrieve an item, the applicant must provide proof of ownership. Items cannot be sent by post, but you may arrange for a courier service to collect them. In this case, a written authorization from the owner and a copy of an ID card or passport must be presented.

Items left onboard an aircraft

If you left an item on a plane (e.g., a laptop, mobile phone, passport, or other belongings), you must contact the airline or its handling company directly.

The airport’s handling companies manage baggage delivery at the baggage claim hall in terminal NAT (Level 0). You can contact them at the following numbers:

Aviapartner: (+34) 966 919 375.

Floor 0, baggage reclaim hall.

Azul Handling (Ryanair): (+34) 966 919 071.

Floor 0, baggage reclaim hall.
Floor 2, check-in area.

Globalia: (+34) 966 919 063.

Floor 0, baggage reclaim hall.
Floor 2, check-in area.

Jet2.com: (+34) 966 919 386.

Floor 0, baggage reclaim hall.
Floor 2, check-in area.

Menzies Aviation: (+34) 966 919 474.

Floor 0, baggage reclaim hall.
Floor 2, check-in area.

Menzies Aviation Easyjet: (+34) 966 919 643.

Floor 0, baggage reclaim hall.
Floor 2, check-in area.

Norwegian: (+34) 966 919 082.

Floor 0, baggage reclaim hall.
Floor 2, check-in area.

South Europe Ground Services: (+34) 966 919 065.

Floor 0, baggage reclaim hall.
Floor 2, check-in area.