An axial valve has a housing, an inlet, an outlet, a valve seat between the inlet and the outlet, and a valve element cooperating with the valve seat, and is controlled by a pilot valve arranged between the inlet and the outlet, with the valve element being moveable parallel to a flow path from the inlet to the outlet and surrounding an interior space. Without changing the external measurements of the valve an increased through flow is achieved in that a first section of the flow path leads through the interior space and a pressure space is arranged between the housing and the valve element, in which pressure space in the closed condition of the pilot valve a closing pressure is formed and applied to the valve element.