Pedro Sánchez announces an investment of some 13 billion euros in all Spanish airports for 2027-2031, the largest in recent decades

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, has stressed that the record investment will have a positive impact on the entire national territory and is guided by "the general interest, the quality of service and ambition for the future."

Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, during his speech at the presentation of Aena's investment plan for Spanish airports (Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa)

Pedro Sánchez has advanced that Aena's investment plan for 2027-2031, which will be incorporated into the new Airport Regulation Document (DORA III), for all Spanish airports, will have some 13 billion euros earmarked, the largest investment in the Spanish airport network in recent decades. This was announced during the presentation of Aena's investment plan, held at Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport, which was also attended by the Minister for Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, and the President and CEO of Aena, Maurici Lucena. The Minister for Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant, and the Government Delegate in the Valencia Region, Pilar Bernabé, also attended.

Pedro Sánchez stressed that the new investment strategy, presented to the Government as a prior step to its incorporation into DORA III, "will allow us to continue modernising and expanding not only the main Spanish airports, but all those that need to adapt to the growth in demand" and will mean "more competitiveness, consolidation of companies and a lot of employment." In addition, he sees that this plan will have a "positive impact throughout the national territory", as "it will reach all the airports in the Aena network", with a roadmap focused on "the general interest, the quality of service and the ambition for the future that our country deserves."

Meeting demand, improvements for travellers and environmental sustainability

Pedro Sánchez explained that the criteria that will guide this ambitious investment programme over its five years are based on three priorities. The first is the need to meet the increase in air traffic demanded, with almost 217 million passengers throughout the network so far this year and the "spectacular" forecast of 320 million passengers for the year as a whole, in order to "respond to the success and expectations, with a willingness to listen: attending to the airlines as the main users, and to our tourism sector."

He also cited a priority of improving passenger experience, improving comfort and safety, and social and environmental sustainability, to mitigate the emission of greenhouse gases with a clear commitment to clean energy and decarbonisation of airports. For this reason, he detailed that, of the 13 billion euros of investment, 1.5 billion euros will be allocated to technological, innovation and environmental sustainability projects. "It will allow us to reach the significant milestone of "net zero emissions" in 2030, twenty years ahead of the global commitment of the air transport sector," he said.

Economic impact

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, along with Aena President, Maurici Lucena, at the presentation ceremony| Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

The president of the Government of Spain stressed that Spain is "a country that is increasingly open to the world", with an "open-minded vocation for international trade" and "now, if possible, with more determination than ever, when other countries choose just the opposite: to close in on themselves." In this regard, he pointed out that Spain's "strength" is reflected in the fact that, on average, every twelve seconds an aircraft takes off or lands at one of the airports in the network managed by Aena. In August alone, more than 33 million passengers were registered, an all-time record for the entire network and 21 airports. This passenger traffic, he said, has a "significant impact" on the economy as a whole. It is estimated that a 10% improvement in air connectivity increases GDP per capita by 0.5%, that every 1,000 air passengers generate one direct job and that a 1% increase in flights helps increase trade by 0.7%.

Aena, the world's largest airport company by passenger traffic

Pedro Sánchez also highlighted the investment, planning and firm commitment to the modernisation of infrastructures that characterises the "Aena model", a "successful" model based on the "excellent management and development of 46 airports and two heliports", with a "solid" regulatory and normative framework. "This hybrid public-private model has made Aena the largest airport company in the world in terms of passenger traffic and market capitalisation," he said, stressing that it combines "management excellence, the most competitive airport tariffs and brilliant financial results."

The head of the Executive recalled that in the five-year period from 2020 to 2024, Aena invested 3 billion euros in the network, 70% more than what was allocated in the five years immediately prior, allowing airports to handle more than 309 million passengers in 2024, almost 100 million more than just a decade ago. "We now face the challenge of moving forwards with the same ambition of the last seven years. With more, if possible. Thinking not only about the record figures we will reach in 2025, but also about the readiness to beat those figures in the years to come," he added. Sánchez took the opportunity to highlight the fact that Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández airport has been recognised for the fifth time as the best in Europe, and has announced that it will receive an investment of more than 1 billion to extend the terminal building and a new taxiway.

Non official translation

More Info

• Aid from the Immediate Response, Reconstruction and Relaunching Plan

Tags:

• Economy
• Government of Spain
• Sustainability
• Transports
• Science