Spain’s state-owned airport operator Aena on Thursday stated it could make investments nearly €13 billion over 5 years to broaden and modernise airports on the planet’s second most-visited nation.
The €12.8 billion ($15 billion) for the 2027-2031 interval is “Aena’s largest funding in airports within the final 20 years in Spain”, stated the corporate, the world’s largest airport operator by passenger numbers.
The cash will primarily go in the direction of works in terminals, airfields, IT, digitalisation, security, providers, sustainability and innovation, it added in an announcement.
The spending “is crucial to align airport infrastructure with the anticipated progress in demand, preserve the very best requirements of security, high quality and environmental sustainability”, Aena stated.
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A booming tourism business has helped make Spain, the world’s most-visited nation after France, one of many fastest-growing superior economies.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez hailed Aena’s enterprise mannequin which “has made our community of airports a lever to extend the financial system’s competitiveness, stimulate funding and business exchanges, and proceed to develop the tourism sector”.
“Our airports are the primary impression many worldwide vacationers have of Spain,” he added at an occasion on the southeastern airport of Alicante, a vacation spot well-liked for its pristine Mediterranean seashores.
A aircraft takes off from or lands at airports managed by Aena each 12 seconds, Sánchez famous.
Aena recorded a 10-percent improve in income within the first six months of 2025 due to dynamic air visitors and tourism, whereas turnover rose 9 p.c, partly linked to greater earnings from airport charges.
The firm has develop into embroiled in a dispute with Ryanair over the charges, with the low-cost Irish airline slashing a couple of million winter seats in Spain over what it known as “extreme” costs.
Aena accused Ryanair of “extortion”, saying in Thursday’s assertion that the following funding cycle aimed to be “suitable with the preservation of a few of Europe’s best charges”.
