Replacing the AVE between Barcelona and Madrid would require 140 flights a day

The Barcelona Chamber of Commerce warns that cutting the AVE line between Barcelona and Madrid would require 140 daily flights to accommodate passenger demand. This estimate arises from the potential loss of nine million passengers, which would necessitate 70 flights in each direction daily, compared to the current 14. The report highlights the impracticality of such a scenario due to resource investment, peak demand issues, and airport capacity constraints. Following a recent train accident, air traffic has increased by 16.3%, indicating a possible shift from train to air travel, although it's unclear if this is a direct substitution. The AVE line has seen a decline of about one million travelers in the first half of the year.