Airline groups are objecting to proposed increases in charges by Spanish airports operator AENA and called for an annual reduction in the fees.
State-owned AENA, which runs 46 airports in Spain, has proposed an annual increase of 3.8 per cent, excluding inflation, in the airport passenger charge for the five-year period from 2027 to 2031.
The airports operator said the fee hike is needed to help fund investments of €13 billion across the business. The proposal, which is known as the Third Airport Regulation Document (DORA III), needs to be approved by Spanish regulators.
But IATA (International Air Transport Association) and the Spanish Airline Association (ALA) instead called for a 4.9 per cent annual reduction (excluding inflation) in the charge, which they argued would still allow AENA to spend €10 billion on improving airport infrastructure over the five years.
Rafael Schvartzman, IATA’s regional vice president for Europe, called AENA’s proposed level of increases “unsustainable and unrealistic”.
“Our proposal for a 4.9 per cent cut in charges will improve Spain’s competitiveness as an international destination, stimulating investment and job creation across the wider economy,” argued Schvartzman.
“At the same time, AENA can still afford its €10 billion investment plan and deliver reasonable returns to its shareholders. This is a win-win for passengers, Spain, and the aviation industry. We look forward to regulators reviewing the evidence and reaching the right conclusions.”
AENA stressed in a statement that the increase would only add an average of €0.43 annually to the passenger charge from 2027 to 2031, and that the country’s airports would remain “competitive”. The company added that the fee rise could also be lower at smaller airports in Spain.
The operator has previously said that its new investment plan was “essential to adapt airport infrastructures to the expected growth in demand and to maintain the highest standards of safety, quality and environmental sustainability”.
“AENA’s objective is to make this investment cycle compatible with the maintenance of some of the most competitive airport charges in Europe,” added the company.
Spain’s competition regulator has already allowed AENA to increase the current fee by up to 6.5 per cent from March 2026, which equates to an average rise of €0.68 to a maximum of €11.02 per passenger. This increase in charges led to Ryanair cutting capacity in Spain this winter, including the closure of its Santiago base.
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