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Vueling reconnects Barcelona and Madrid with flights from 50 euros
Vueling will resume its direct flights between Barcelona and Madrid next 5 October. The airline is returning to a route it had abandoned in 2025 and will offer up to 11 weekly frequencies, with tickets starting at 50 euros.
The company especially wants to attract travellers who commute for work between the two cities. The return comes during difficult months for high-speed rail, marked by incidents, speed restrictions and longer-than-usual journeys on the Madrid-Barcelona corridor.
For much of October there will be ten weekly frequencies. Vueling will operate two daily flights from Monday to Thursday, one on Fridays and another on Sundays, while initially there will be no Saturday service. From 31 October, that day will also be added and the offer will rise to eleven flights per week.
The timetables are designed precisely to compete for professional passengers. From Monday to Thursday there will be departures from El Prat early in the morning and further flights in the afternoon, allowing travel to Madrid and a return the same day. A similar pattern will be followed from Barajas.
It will not be the first time Vueling has restored this connection during 2026. The company already temporarily returned to the route between February and March, when problems on the rail network limited the alternatives available for travel between Spain's two largest cities.
The context has changed compared with 2025, when Vueling decided to abandon the link because of strong competition from the train. Speed restrictions applied on the high-speed line have added at least 25 minutes to some journey times and the rail corridor has recorded a 17% fall in passenger numbers.
The new air service will continue at least until 29 March 2027. Tickets are already on sale and the cheapest fare starts at 50 euros, although the final price will depend on the date, availability and additional services.
Barcelona and Madrid are thus restoring a competition that seemed virtually settled in favour of rail. High-speed services retain the advantage of directly linking the urban centres, but Vueling once again finds room for aircraft among passengers seeking more alternatives during a period of lower rail reliability.