The same morning that her loyal aide from the start of the legislature –María Jesús Montero– handed over the baton to her successor –Carlos Cuerpo–, Pedro Sánchez met with Imanol Pradales to satisfy the demands that the PNB has been making for some time and to inject some oxygen into the legislature through advances in the Gernika Statute. "As you know, the Statute is still not fully complied with. There is a political agreement, and we have insisted on the need to do so quickly," the lehendakari stated upon leaving. The meeting, accompanied by a new meeting of the State-Euskadi Cooperation Bilateral Commission, comes exactly two months after the last meeting and fulfills the requirement to be held before Holy Week. On that occasion, despite having secured the transfer of five powers, Pradales left frustrated with the "non-compliance" of the Spanish government. But now he returns to Bilbao "reasonably satisfied" after having signed a "political agreement" for the transfer of seven new matters. The transfer of pensions, among other things, remains pending. The most significant thing is that the door has been opened for the Basque Country to participate in the management of airports "for the first time in history".

€53.8 billion by 2043 to prevent the collapse of infrastructure in Catalonia. This is the calculation made by the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce through its new Infrastructure Observatory, which produced the study. Strategic projects for Cataloniawhich affects airports, railways, roads, ports, logistics, and water transition. "Current investment must be doubled," summarized the Chamber's vice president, Miquel Martí. Without addressing the investment deficit, "the system will collapse," he said. The Chamber representative called for a national agreement on the matter, led by the Catalan government. The president of the Chamber and of the Council of Chambers of Commerce of Catalonia, Josep Santacreu, stated that the necessary effort cannot be undertaken "without a united effort," such as "a major national agreement on infrastructure," and called for "local management" of these projects.

Aena, the airport operator, is taking advantage of the current strong demand for flights. The company closed the first nine months of the year with a net profit of €1.579 billion, an 8.9% increase compared to the same period of the previous year. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of €2.8827 billion rose by 8.2%. Aena's network handled a total of 294 million passengers through September, including its operations in Brazil and at London Luton Airport. This traffic volume represented a 4.1% increase year-on-year. At Aena's airports in Spain, the increase was 3.9%, reaching 247.1 million passengers. Total consolidated revenue increased by 8.8% to €4.7852 billion. Aeronautical revenues grew by 5.5% to €2,556.2 million. Commercial revenues, supported by growth in sales from commercial activities, increased by 10.8% to €1,466.1 million. Aena's revenue rose to €4,785 million, 8.8% higher than in the first nine quarters of last year.

A cyberattack against a European service provider for check-in and boarding systems has disrupted operations at several major European airports, including London Heathrow, Brussels Airport, and Berlin Airport. There are delays and cancellations. El Prat Airport is operating normally, according to sources from Aena.

So far this year, Reus Airport has registered 12.4% more passengers than the same period last year, confirming the upward trend in tourism in our country. The arrival of more flights means more economic opportunities and greater visibility for the region, but it also accentuates the debate about what type of tourism we want to promote. The challenge, therefore, is to find the balance between quantity and quality, and to commit to a tourism model that values local heritage, culture, and identity.

Ryanair's announcement that it will drastically reduce operations at several Spanish airports once again puts the spotlight on how the low-cost carrier model actually works. The news isn't surprising: every time airport charges rise, the company threatens to withdraw routes. And this time, with an increase on the horizon, it seems to be serious.

With the intense investment wave expected in the coming years, Aena has approved the largest increase in airport taxes in the last ten years, one of the factors that determine the price of airline tickets. By 2026, the airport manager wants to charge another 68 cents per passenger, 6.5% more, up to a maximum of 11.03 euros per traveler.

Now that you're done There is a new expansion project on the tableThe future of El Prat Airport is once again at the center of debate. But in Catalonia, there are also other airports that want to take advantage of this new era to grow. Both Girona and Reus have long hoped to develop rail connections as a lever for development so as not to fall behind the growth prospects of El Prat Airport, which has been setting records for years and surpassed 55 million passengers last year. The investment package planned by the Spanish government for the coming years aims to move in this direction, with new stations that better connect the airports and attract more passengers.

When the Government already has on the table the project to expand El Prat and begins to take the first steps, the different political groups They have not been able to agree on the future of the airport In a monographic debate on infrastructure held throughout this week in the Catalan parliament, one of the clearest proposals was that of Esquerra (the Catalan Left), which criticized the expansion project as "incompatible with a public policy committed to protecting health," as MP Jordi Albert reminded Health Minister Olga Pané.

After presenting the expansion project agreed between the Generalitat and the Spanish government A few weeks ago, Salvador Illa's administration began taking the first steps toward achieving this. The impact on protected natural areas is one of the main issues, given the rejection generated by the impact it will have on the Ricarda lagoon, and the first process it has launched has a direct impact.

After the member states of the European Union agreed a few weeks ago to allow airlines charge for hand luggage, the High Court of Justice of Madrid (TSJM) has also taken a position in this direction. The TSJM has provisionally suspended the sanctions imposed by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs. on Ryanair and Norwegian airlines, which will be able to maintain their current baggage policy until a final ruling is issued. Approved at the end of last year, the fines for abusive practices were €107 million for Ryanair, the highest, and €1.6 million for Norwegian. Other airlines low cost Vueling, EasyJet, and Volotea were also fined.

Once the light is on, Green light for the expansion of El Prat airport Doubts arise that perhaps should have been resolved earlier. And not all of them are green, that is, environmental, which are undoubtedly also essential. The first has to do with governance. Who will manage this facility? Shouldn't economic and social stakeholders be involved in some way? And to know exactly what we're talking about, shouldn't the manager, Aena, provide financial data on each of the airports, starting with the one in the Catalan capital?

Through a proposal from Más, the Parliament of the Balearic Islands wants to limit Aena's use of the Balearic airports, which are currently treated as if they were its own private backyard. From the monopoly they exercise, in favor of their shareholders, they multiply visitor arrivals and installed capacities, which provide them with income from both the slots They charge for the equipment they rent. At excessive costs, these rentals are then transferred, within the facilities, to prohibitively expensive merchandise. Water, for example, cannot be brought in through airport security filters, and a return trip within the facilities often costs four euros—or more—for a small bottle of water; such is the fixed cost passed on for facilities that are Aena's big business. The same applies to aircraft entry and exit. By not paying the full environmental cost of their carbon footprint, companies can afford to pay what they are asked for the use of runways, making alternative territorial facilities less attractive, as they would decentralize demand and become competitive. This way of understanding the public interest as achieving returns for shareholders sits poorly today with the aspirations of citizens. The State should therefore not behave like just another shareholder, nor collect cash like everyone else. It's up to them to be sensitive to the demands of places like Barcelona and the Balearic Islands, which have had their say. And, in the absence of that sensitivity on the part of Aena's current management, perhaps there's no choice but to accept the governments' demands for full management or co-management of their airports, and not leave the desire to achieve more reasonable levels of tourism than the current ones in the hands of shareholders.

The closure of London's Heathrow Airport due toa power outage caused by a fire, has forced the cancellation of 17 flights originating or arriving at El Prat airport, as reported this Friday by Aena on its account on the social network X (formerly Twitter).

Black day at German airports. More than 500,000 passengers have been affected by the strike by staff at the country's 13 main airports. The strike called by the public union Verdi has led to the cancellation of 3,400 flights, according to an initial estimate by the airport association ADV. The union has called for a 24-hour strike on Monday at 13 airports, including those in Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, Hamburg and Berlin-Brandenburg. The massive strike began after midnight and will end at 11:59 p.m.

After months of heated debate, dialogue tables and a surprise agreement in August, the expansion of El Prat airport has gone from being sealed to be completely frozen. The Spanish Minister for Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, Raquel Sánchez, announced this Wednesday that the €1.7bn investment would be put on hold in an appearance expressly convened at only an hour's notice. The reason given is the statements made in recent days by the Generalitat, which demanded changes to the project to ensure the protected natural areas of La Ricarda lagoon would not be affected.