The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Spanish Airline Association (ALA) have made a joint statement targeted at AENA, a Spanish airport operator, pleading for an annual reduction of 4.9% in Spanish airport charges between 2027 and 2031.
The discrepancy follows a proposal by AENA to increase the charges by 3.8% over the same five-year period, which has been strongly contested by airlines due to “consistent underestimation of traffic growth and the excessive regulated returns it has earned during previous regulatory periods.” Essentially, due to passenger traffic being on average 15.3% higher between 2017 and 2025 than AENA forecasted, the airport body earned EUR1.3 billion in excess returns, a significant overpayment borne by airlines and passengers.
IATA and ALA’s proposed reduction would fall in line with AENA’s airport investment plan, which requires EUR 10 billion over the five-year span. AENA stated that passenger traffic would grow by only 1.3% annually, while separate studies have revealed that the number is more likely to sit around 3.6%. With this in mind, IATA and ALA’s reduction rate would still enable AENA to fund the plan, which the bodies are fully supportive of, as it would support Spain’s competitiveness within the market by stimulating investment into the country’s airports.
“AENA has gamed the regulatory system for years, earning millions of euros more than it should have, at the expense of passengers, airlines, and the Spanish economy,” said Rafael Schvartzman, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Europe. “This must stop. AENA has generated excessive returns through a creative approach to forecasting, and its request for further increases is absurd. If granted, it would deliver the highest regulated return of any comparable airport operator in Europe. This is unsustainable and unrealistic—we need to see a reduction in charges.”
Photo: AENA
