Alicante-Zaragoza flights return in 2027 after 16 years

Today's essentials (5 key points)

• A €8.8 million public plan could restore a direct flight between Alicante-Elche airport and Zaragoza from 28 March 2027, ending a gap of some 16 years, according to TodoAlicante.
• The entire Tram network in Alicante will run free of charge on Tuesday 22 September to mark Car-Free Day, according to TodoAlicante.
• The town of Petrer is offering grants of up to €35,000 to buy, build or renovate a home while its application window stays open, reports elperiodic.
• Dénia has only 67 public-protection homes and 90 more under construction, yet their price nears €260,000, according to La Marina Plaza.
• Alicante's cultural autumn continues with the ADDA symphonic season and the 'Cómicas' comedy night at the Teatro Principal.

Today's essentials

Alicante-Zaragoza flights return in 2027 after 16 years. A direct flight between Alicante-Elche airport and Zaragoza is on the table again, with a planned launch on 28 March 2027 timed for the start of the high tourist season, according to TodoAlicante.

The date is not a coincidence: promoters want the route flying just as spring travel picks up. TodoAlicante frames the March 2027 start as the target, though it comes with a clear condition, because the line has not yet been handed to any airline. No operator is confirmed at this stage, cautions Aeropuerto-alicante-elche.com, so treat the launch as planned rather than guaranteed.

The money behind it is real, however. The wider connectivity plan mobilises €8.8 million of public funding, split between €5.86 million from the Gobierno de Aragón and €2.93 million from the Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza, channelled through the regional public body Promoción de Actividades Aeroportuarias (PAA), reports Moncloa.com. Alicante is one stop in a much larger push: El Español and Cope count 31 new routes to 15 countries out of Zaragoza, alongside domestic links to Málaga, Ibiza and Santiago de Compostela and international destinations from Manchester and Paris to Prague, Budapest and Switzerland.

The stated goal is ambitious. Moncloa.com reports that the plan aims to triple Zaragoza's current scheduled routes and push past 1.3 million passengers a year, with promoters estimating a net social benefit of around €88 million annually for hospitality, retail and tourism, a claimed return of €10 for every euro invested. There is history here too: an Aragón to Costa Blanca link once existed under Ryanair until it was scrapped in 2011, which would mean a 16-year interruption if flights resume in 2027 (TodoAlicante speaks of 'more than 15 years', while Aeropuerto-alicante-elche.com counts 16 from 2011).

The calendar to watch is short. TodoAlicante expects the tender specifications to be published in the coming weeks, with the individual route lots, potentially including Alicante-Zaragoza, awarded in November 2026.

Ce que ca change pour toi: if you live on the Costa Blanca and regularly head inland to Aragón, or want a gateway to the Pyrenees and Zaragoza's rail connections without routing through Madrid or Barcelona, this could hand you a direct hop from your local airport in 2027. Nothing is booked yet, so the practical move now is to wait for the tender award in November 2026, according to TodoAlicante, which is when we will know whether an airline actually takes the route.

Weather today

Today's weather across the Costa Blanca. Expect a mild, cloudy Monday 21 September across the Costa Blanca: Alicante city sits between 18 and 28 degrees under fully overcast skies with no rain and a light breeze up to 10 km/h, according to Open-Meteo.

Inland around Pinoso the morning starts cooler at 13 degrees before climbing to the same 28-degree high under grey skies, with winds up to 14 km/h. On the southern coast, Santa Pola wakes to fog and 17 degrees, tops out at 29 and stays dry, with a breeze around 12 km/h. With zero rain forecast everywhere, it is a good day for the beach or an inland walk: pack a light layer for the early hours and expect the coastal mist to lift as the morning warms up.

Transport & traffic

No transport or traffic incidents reported at time of publication.

What's changing for you

• Dénia's subsidised homes: 67 flats, prices near €260,000. Getting a subsidised home in Dénia remains close to impossible and far from cheap: the city has only 67 public-protection homes (VPO) and 90 more under construction, yet prices approach €260,000, according to La Marina Plaza. If you are counting on protected housing to settle in the Marina Alta, plan for a long wait and a budget far higher than the 'social' label suggests: at close to €260,000, these homes sit within reach of only a narrow band of buyers. Keep an eye on Dénia town hall's calls as the 90 units under construction reach the market, and weigh up nearby inland towns where the private market can sometimes undercut those figures.
• Petrer offers up to €35,000 to buy or renovate a home. Petrer is offering up to €35,000 to help you buy, build or renovate a home, with the town hall's call currently open, according to elperiodic. The grant targets people purchasing, constructing or refurbishing a property in Petrer, an inland town in the Vinalopó, and is designed to keep residents in the municipality. If you are house-hunting in the area, check the requirements and the closing date on the Ayuntamiento de Petrer's channels before the window shuts, since these one-off schemes usually run on a limited budget and reward those who apply early.

Local news to know

• UEPAL awards gala urges a new growth model. The Unión Empresarial de la Provincia de Alicante (UEPAL) held its annual awards gala in Elda, calling for a shift in the growth model and greater business unity, with the regional minister in attendance, reports elperiodic.
• ADDA opens its symphonic season with 'Natura'. The ADDA·Simfònica opens its 2026/27 symphonic season in Alicante with 'Natura', an evening pairing Dvořák, Saint-Saëns and Beethoven led by conductor Nayden Todorov, according to AlicanteOut.
• 'Cómicas' brings top female comedians to the Teatro Principal. The Teatro Principal de Alicante hosts 'Cómicas', a stand-up night showcasing some of the moment's best female comedians for audiences of all kinds, per AlicanteOut.
• Benidorm Pride 2026 wrapped up in early September. Benidorm Pride 2026 ran from 1 to 6 September with a Pool Party, the White Party, the Ñ Divas Disco, the parade and a Main Stage After-Party, as recapped by Life in Benidorm.

Things to do today

• Alicante's Tram runs free on Tuesday 22 September. Ride free: the entire Tram network in Alicante is free all day this Tuesday 22 September for Car-Free Day, according to TodoAlicante. It covers every Tram line for the whole day, a good excuse to leave the car at home and hop between Alicante and its coastal towns at no cost.