MadridThe sustainable mobility law will have to return to the Congress of Deputies after the People's Party (PP) introduced some eighty amendments during its vote in the Senate on Wednesday, where it holds an absolute majority. Among the changes the PP has put forward is one that has set off alarm bells at Aena: the freezing of airport fees. In a statement released Wednesday night, hours after the Senate vote, the Spanish airport operator warned that the proposal jeopardizes the investment plan announced for the 2027-2031 period of almost €13 billion. Specifically, the €9.991 billion corresponding to regulated investment, which also affects El Prat Airport.
"If the amendment passes [...] and the remuneration for Aena's aeronautical activity is limited by law without any rational economic argument, the damage to the Spanish airport system, to Aena and its shareholders could be considerable; and the company should review its planned investments in Spanish airport infrastructure," the company warned through the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV). This resulted in Aena's share price falling 5.65% on Thursday, to €22.38.
Since amendments have been introduced, the text must return to the Congress of Deputies, and it is there that Aena sees an opportunity to reverse the PP's changes. Once the legislation is voted on in the Spanish lower house, the PSOE and the parties of the investiture bloc could reject the PP's contributions and ratify the text that was originally voted on in October. In this case, Junts's blocking of the Spanish government's laws should not pose an impediment because the party has stated that this legislation is not subject to their veto.
"The peculiar legislative technique of the Popular Party's text is striking, as its opaque grammar and vocabulary generate confusion regarding its interpretation and scope. In fact, the amendment raises doubts about its place within the regulatory framework," Aena states in its press release. Therefore, beyond rejecting the amendment, the airport operator even suggests that the technical drafting of the text is not only "improvable" but also creates "legal uncertainty."
New rates
Aena maintains that there is "no" statistically significant correlation between ticket prices and the proposed fees. "They represent a small percentage of the airfare," argues the airport operator, who defends this as a "necessary" revenue stream to adapt to the demand for air travel at state-owned airports. Furthermore, the operator points out that it was the People's Party (PP) that, between 2014 and 2015, spearheaded Aena's transformation into the private company it is today (51% of its share capital is publicly held). "The arbitrary change to transparent rules in a regulated sector is disconcerting," Aena warns.
Aena is currently negotiating new airport fees for 2026. The intention is to raise them, which has sparked a war with companies like Ryanair.At the time, the airport operator proposed charging 68 cents more per passenger, 6.5% more, up to a maximum of 11.03 euros per traveler.
A Dutch consultancy will be in charge of improving the environmental compensation measures for the expansion of El Prat airport.
The expansion of El Prat Airport continues to move forward. The Catalan government, through Airports of Catalonia, has selected the company Arcadis to carry out the environmental assessment for the project, given that it will affect protected natural areas of the Natura 2000 network, Ricarda and Remolar, and the European Commission will have the final say.
The selected company is a consultancy specializing in sustainable engineering and design solutions. Founded in 1888 in the Netherlands, it currently employs more than 36,000 professionals in over 30 countries. It has worked on infrastructure expansion projects, such as Brussels Airport and the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp. It has also participated in sustainable management projects on the coasts of the Netherlands and Belgium.
For one year, Arcadis will have to prepare an environmental assessment roadmap that will improve the proposed compensatory measures presented before the summer. According to the Socialist government, the compensation measures will increase tenfold the area affected by the construction, reaching 270 hectares. Therefore, new land will have to be acquired, restored, and managed so that it can be classified as a protected natural environment and validated by Europe. It should be noted that the compensatory measures for the 2002 expansion of El Prat Airport have not yet been fully implemented. Plans include the creation of a green corridor interconnecting the protected and agricultural areas surrounding the airport and the establishment of an airport environmental fund, to which Aena will allocate resources for improvements.