The government supports and supports this practice. rise airport taxes Prepared by AenaManager of the Spanish airport network, 51% controlled by the State. This Tuesday, the Council of Ministers approved the so-called P index (a rate reflecting the effect of the development of inflation) with a value of 3.5%, which gives the nature of p.Aena offers to increase rates by 4.09% This requires airlines to use airports from March; This is equivalent to an increase of 40 cents per passenger. The proposal still needs final approval by the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC).
An increase that airlines operating in Spain openly deny and which some major airline groups, together with giant companies, have led to ryanair As the main strike coach, it threatens to stop its expansion in the Spanish market and divert operations to other countries. Aena defends the increase in rates because it faces multimillion-dollar investments to improve and expand airports and because of the cuts accumulated in previous years.
“Despite the review, average rates will continue to be lower than in 2015. In total, the average rate fell by 6.9% between 2015 and 2024. In the period 2015-2023, the decrease will be even greater, at around 11%.”, Ministry of Transport under the command of Óscar Puente It argues that airports have justified the rate increase after a historic passenger record of more than 283 million passengers last year. Compared with the accumulated rate cuts in recent years, inflation has risen 15% since the pre-Covid period in 2019.
“Aena airports will continue to be the most competitive airports in Europe, with differentiated airport taxes depending on the airport type (…) hubs The government states that (Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona-El Prat) are up to 60% lower than the average of their rivals (London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Frankfurt and Amsterdam-Schiphol). “There has been a general increase in airport fees at most airports in Europe as a result of the Covid-19 crisis and high inflation.”
Aena incentive plan
Aena’s board of directors approved Incentive plan for airlines operating regional airports, Bonuses and discounts are offered at 32 airports and helipads with fewer than 3 million passengers last year. Airlines are exempt from paying per-passenger fees for three consecutive years for all travelers in addition to passengers in 2023 (bonuses at Algeciras and Ceuta airports will be annual).
Aena also decided to continue the incentives for opening new routes to new destinations at airports with more than 3 million passengers until March 2027, and growth in routes with Asia compared to the previous equivalent season is encouraged. The manager also offers discounts on flights for reasons of general interest in the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Ceuta and Melilla, ranging from 15% to 70%, depending on the type of passenger and the season. Airlines will also have access to a $45 million subsidy from the Government to cover some of the costs they have incurred in adapting infrastructure to specific needs during the pandemic.
Low-cost giant Ryanair also requested “incentives” To facilitate your intention to open a new location operating bases at regional airports Spanish such as Valladolid, Vigo, Asturias, Santander or Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz). All of these airports are included in the bonus plan designed by Aena.
To prove itself as the leading airline in Spain, Ryanair has devised a growth plan that will see a strong increase of 40% from current 55 million passengers to 77 million in 2040. A roadmap envisaging an investment of 5 billion euros to allocate 33 new aircraft to Spanish airports, open five new operating bases and increase the 730 routes currently in operation to more than a thousand routes by the end of the decade. The airline attributed the intensity of its expansion plan in Spain to Aena’s suspension of fare increases and threatened to take part in newly planned operations to other countries.
In parallel, Aena’s board of directors approved the following appointment: three new council members To fill the vacant positions resulting from resignations caused by the changes in the new Government. New members of the Aena board of directors Beatriz Alcocer (member of Minister Óscar Puente’s cabinet), Ainhoa Morondo (private secretary of the Minister of State for Transport) and Ángel Faus (communication director of the Ministry of Industry and Tourism since the arrival of Jordi Hereu).