The airport, Salvador Illa's next hot potato
The government promises to make the experts' report public "shortly," and partners reiterate their opposition to the infrastructure expansion.
BarcelonaWith the transfer of commuter rail services still unresolved, the Catalan government will have to address another hot potato sooner rather than later: the expansion of El Prat airport. This issue already strained the seams of Pere Aragonès's government during the previous term and now threatens to do so for Salvador Illa's government. One of the first announcements made by the president of the Generalitat, barely a month after taking the reins of the government, was to reactivate the El Prat technical committee to draft a proposal to unblock this expansion. The government had promised to have the report ready at the beginning of this year. After a four-month delay, the government now promises to make it public "shortly," which means that, depending on what the text says, the opposition of the investiture partners, ERC and Comuns, will be reactivated.
The proposal made by the Ministry of Transport and Aena a couple of years ago involved extending the airport's third runway by 500 meters, an option that was to be specified in the future master plan. However, Pere Aragonès's government did not see this favorably and had internally proposed reducing this length to 300 meters to save the Ricarda pond. In fact, this natural space is the main argument used by the Republicans and the Commons to oppose extending this third runway. In the proposal that the Republican executive put on the table before the May 12 elections, this option was ignored and focused on change the operation of the runways and soundproof the neighboring homes.
Salvador Illa had advocated for the expansion of this third runway before taking office, but once in power, he avoided doing so, aware that it would generate hostility among his supporters. The Infrastructure Advisory Committee of Barcelona City Council, chaired by Santi Vila, has already taken a position. In its report, they advocated expanding the airport "preferably" without affecting Ricarda. In a recent interview with ARA, Vila argued that The extension will reach 300 meters"From what we've heard from the experts who have appeared before the committee, we're arguing about how to fit 300 meters. And 300 meters should be able to fit," the former minister stated.
ERC focuses on governance
While waiting to see the experts' report, both ERC and Comuns have already stated their positions. Oriol Junqueras did so at the Republicans' national council two weeks ago, where he focused on the airport's governance. This week, Esquerra's spokesperson in Parliament, Ester Capella, insisted in an interview with Europa Press, in which she asked for this issue to be "key" in the experts' report. "Without governance, the current situation at El Prat Airport will hardly change. Governance by ERC is the key element; they won't make us budge. Then other things may come along that, if I may, are things we shouldn't comment on and aren't relevant," she said, referring to the airport expansion.
In fact, this governance is one of the points included in the investiture agreement with the Socialists. The agreement established the creation of a Catalan Airport Governing Council—which would replace the current Airport Coordination Committee—so that the Generalitat would play a "decisive role" in the "definition, coordination, and management of the new Catalan airport system." Furthermore, the agreement spoke of creating the Catalan Airport Authority, where the Catalan government would pilot this "new governance model." ERC also demands respect for the protected area of the Natura 2000 Network, the change in runway operations proposed by Aragonès's government a year ago, the implementation of the satellite terminal—a project that has been pending for years—and the connection of the airports with high-speed trains.
Comunes demands shelving the expansion
Comuns has strongly rejected any expansion of El Prat Airport. With commuter rail in the spotlight, the party led by Jéssica Albiach in the Parliament has taken advantage of the latest control sessions to warn the Catalan government that it will not support any type of airport expansion. This was stated by the party's spokesperson, David Cid, during the plenary session on commuter rail, where he demanded that Isla's government make this issue "the sole priority" in terms of infrastructure for the Catalan government. In other words, that the government shelve any project to expand El Prat Airport.
Sources within Comuns, however, are aware that on this issue they are doomed to clash with Isla's government, because their opposition is not only for climate reasons—to protect Ricarda and curb the increase in polluting emissions—but also economic ones: they maintain that it is unviable. Internally, Comuns celebrates the move by the Ministry of Culture, headed by Ernest Urtasun, to acquire the Casa Gomis in El Prat, in Ricarda. Its hope is that the unavailability of this land, where a cultural center will be built, will put a stop to the expansion, it reports. Martina Alcobendas.
Despite the opposition of the investiture partners, Salvador Illa may find some support on this issue. Carles Puigdemont's party publicly expressed its support for the expansion. In fact, former Barcelona councilor Ramon Tremosa has just joined the board of directors of Aena. Also recently, the capital's city council supported the PP's proposal that advocated expanding the Catalan airport. The proposal also received votes from the PSC (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) and Vox (Vox), while Comuns (Comuns) and ERC (Erc) voted against it.