The National Transplant Organization (ONT) has reported that in 2025, 1,045 organs for transplantation were transported by air, which is 114 fewer than in 2024. Nevertheless, the threshold of 1,000 operations was reached for the second consecutive year, after reaching that figure in the previous year and 1,040 being counted in the one before that.
The past "is the second year in terms of operations, with the growth in operations necessary for the transport of hearts for transplantation being particularly important, given the significant increase in activity that occurred in 2025 compared to the previous year," stated the director of this organization, Beatriz Domínguez-Gil, referring to the data from the "Annual Report on Air Operations Necessary for the National Organ Donation and Transplantation Program."
This document records "an average of eight donors and 17 transplants per day," to which the Ministry of Health has highlighted that "air operations are a fundamental piece in achieving figures that are difficult for any other country in the world to match." For this reason, the ONT recognizes "the indispensable role of airports and airlines" in this area.
"Some of these operations are particularly complicated; therefore, we want to thank the cooperation of the staff at Spanish airports," indicated Domínguez-Gil, who added that "it is sometimes necessary to extend airport operating hours, and it is also not uncommon for extraordinary airport openings to be required to carry out these operations."
Delving into the decrease in the number of organs transported, Health indicated that this occurred "in line with the slight decrease in the number of transplants (-2%)." However, "the growth in the transport of hearts (198) by plane in recent years stands out," she explained in line with Domínguez-Gil's statement. "This figure is directly related to the increase in cardiac transplant activity (+12%) recorded," she explained.
"The rest of the organs transported by air, often for the transplantation of patients in zero urgency situations, were 276 livers, 243 lungs, 29 pancreases, and the organs necessary for eight multivisceral transplants," she detailed, adding that the kidney was "the most transplanted organ," of which "290 were transported by air."
"Of these, 138 (47%) were allocated to the transplant of highly sensitized patients (with great difficulties in transplanting due to immunological reasons) within the framework of the ONT's 'National Plan for Kidney Transplant Access for Hyperimmunized Patients' (PATHI), created specifically for these patients," he indicated.
Modes of transport and the role of airlines
This report also analyzes the mode of transport and states that "the transfer of the organ with the medical team grew in 2025 compared to the previous year." "Last year, 561 (54%) organs were transferred with the medical team responsible for their procurement, while 483 were transported under the custody of the aircraft crew, without any healthcare professional traveling with them," stated this ministerial department, adding that "in the case of kidneys, air transport is always carried out on a regular flight, handled by the crew, as it is an organ that withstands longer ischemia times."
Regarding the airlines participating in these actions, Domínguez-Gil indicated that "they are usually private companies, but in almost 30 percent of cases, they are commercial companies." The participation of these "is particularly important, not only because they allow organs to reach the intended patient in a timely manner, but also because, by doing so disinterestedly, free of charge, they contribute to the sustainability of the healthcare system and the transplant program," he stressed.
"From the ONT, we want to express our gratitude to the AENA network, of National Airports, and to the airlines, especially the commercial companies that are part of the Spanish donation and transplant program," he stated, while Health detailed that the airports "intervened on 2,389 occasions in the different operations carried out."
Activity at Spanish and foreign airports
Thus, he indicated that, "once again, Madrid-Barajas airport registered the most activity, with 516 interventions, representing almost 22 percent of the total," while the next in number of operations "was Barcelona, with 399." In addition, the highest representative of the entity responsible for transplants in Spain pointed out that "last year, processes were managed with foreign airports on 42 occasions."
"The most frequent airports were Portuguese airports, given that Spain has a cooperation agreement on transplants with the Lusitanian country," stated, specifying Health that Porto Airport collaborated "on 16 occasions" and, after it, "Faro on five and Lisbon on another three."
Finally, and after reporting that "Atlantic, Initium, and CNAIR are the private companies with the most activity," and that "Vueling, Iberia, Air Europa, Iberia Express, and Air Nostrum" have collaborated selflessly "on their commercial flights," the Ministry pointed out that "the ONT coordination team requested the extension of airport operating hours on 143 occasions, a significant reduction compared to 2024 (279), due to a better adjustment in the surgical hours of donation and transplant processes, which were brought forward last year."
"Furthermore, on 21 occasions, the extraordinary opening of airports was requested for the transport of organs, once they had closed, the same figure as in 2024," it reported, while highlighting "the availability of the airports of Badajoz, Salamanca, and Seville, to which that extraordinary opening was requested up to four times."