Airlines are pressuring Aena to lower airport fees

MadridAena's ambitious investment plan for the 2027-2031 period goes hand in hand with an increase in airport fees. This source of revenue is, in Aena's view, a "necessary" way to finance the investment plan for the coming years and adapt to the air traffic demand at the state's airports, including El Prat Airport, and therefore, its expansion. However, this has sparked a conflict with the airlines, which continue to lobby against the fee increase.

The Airline Association (ALA) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) presented a series of reports this Wednesday that, in their opinion, support the feasibility of reducing or freezing Aena's fees for the next five years (2027-2031). According to data provided by industry associations and compiled by the consulting firms Steer and CEPA, the strong increase in passenger traffic and a balanced cost of capital would allow the airport operator to execute its investment plans and guarantee shareholder returns without increasing airlines' operating costs. These costs often end up being passed on to passengers in the form of higher fares. Aena rejects this argument if it wants to undertake the promised investment, which it describes as "essential" after "two decades of frozen investment."

Specifically, Aena anticipates an unprecedented investment of €12.888 billion between 2027 and 2031 for the Spanish airport network, of which €9.991 billion corresponds to regulated investment that will be included in the Airport regulation document for the period 2027-2031 (DORA III). In addition to the investment, Aena includes in this plan the actions it intends to carry out at the state's airports. An extraordinary board meeting is scheduled for February 17th to discuss and potentially approve the DORA III proposal, according to sources at the airport operator.

"The freeze on investments has allowed us to freeze airport fees in nominal terms over the last ten years and achieve a sharp decrease in fees in real terms, in contrast to the significant increases in airfare prices [...] Air traffic volumes for the period 2027-2028 are not due to economic factors, but rather to some specific limitations in the capacity of current airport infrastructure," the airport operator stated.