El trituradora de inversiones that could run into trouble if the central government does not move ahead with the Alicante-Elche airport expansion is the focus of warnings issued by Nuria Montes, Spain’s regional minister for Innovation, Industry, Commerce and Tourism. She pointed to a major airline expressing interest in locating its aircraft maintenance and inspection workshops at the airport, with an estimated investment around five million euros. This figure emerges from sources within the regional department, underscoring how critical timely expansion is for attracting high‑value aviation services to the facility.
At a recent edition of the Alicante Forum, held at the El Maestral restaurant in Alicante and organized by INFORMACIÓN, Prensa Ibérica, the Club INFORMACIÓN, Informacióntv, the University of Alicante, the Confederación Empresarial de la Comunidad Valenciana, Baleària, Eiffage Infraestructuras and Carmencita, Montes outlined the principal actions of her department. The event drew a wide array of business leaders and representatives from both the Alicante province and the Valencian Community, reflecting the province’s pivotal role in shaping the current economic strategy.
The presentation opened by Esther Guilabert, general secretary of the regional business association, following which Montes engaged in a dialogue with Toni Cabot, the head of INFORMACIÓN. Under the title “Strategic Lines of the Valencian Community’s Business Policy,” Montes walked through the focus areas guiding the department’s work in innovation, as well as industry, commerce and tourism.
The Airport
One of the most notable topics in Montes’ remarks concerned the airport. She stated that a significant investment by an unnamed carrier to establish its maintenance and aircraft inspection workshops at the airport could be jeopardized if the plan director is not approved and if the airport’s expansion is not processed. The minister described the project as a kind of Aviation ITV, underscoring its potential to attract more routes and passengers to the facility.
Montes emphasized that without timely government approval of the master plan and the expansion, the investment would be left hanging, especially in a context where the central government has signaled an intention to extend current national budgets. This situation would further complicate both the airport’s expansion and the essential second runway.
In addition, Montes argued that the province of Alicante risks further marginalization in terms of state investments if budgetary measures are not adjusted. She warned that 2024 could see Alicante being the last province in the country for state funding, a statement that reflects broader concerns about regional disparities in public investment.
Tourist Housing
Turning to the housing sector, the consellera discussed the challenge of tourist accommodations and the ongoing effort to curb underground economic activity in this market. She announced that the new regulatory framework would require owners of legal holiday rentals to register their properties, including the cadastral reference. The goal is to enable data cross‑checking with information provided by platforms, thus identifying properties operating illegally and taking appropriate enforcement action.
Montes also announced the imminent opening of an investment‑recruitment office for the Valencian Community in Saudi Arabia, which will be managed by Ivace+i. The office is currently in the bidding stage, signaling an international push to attract capital and partnerships to the region.