At the FITUR travel fair in Madrid, Navarra’s regional government confirmed on 23 January that it will relaunch—on slimmer terms—its Public Service Obligation (PSO) tender for flights from Pamplona-Noáin airport. The first attempt failed last year when no carrier bid for the four-route package. The revised call will bankroll only one domestic and one international service, with London, Germany and Italy flagged as target markets.(cadenaser.com)
Tourism director Ana Rivas told Cadena SER that airlines are “reducing capacity and prioritising higher-yield hubs,” forcing Navarra to offer a more realistic subsidy. She stressed that the region must balance connectivity goals with fiscal prudence, promising “market-level prices and demonstrable economic returns” before public money is committed.
If these new links do get off the ground, corporate travellers will also need clarity on passport, visa and ETA formalities. VisaHQ’s Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) tracks the latest entry rules for the UK, Germany and Italy and can process the necessary applications online, saving travel managers time and helping employees avoid airport surprises.
![Navarra scales back subsidised air links — new tender will fund just two routes from Pamplona]()
For companies based in Navarra’s automotive, renewable-energy and agri-food clusters, the airport’s limited network has long been a pain point, pushing executives to drive to Bilbao or Zaragoza. A successful PSO could cut travel time for outbound sales teams and inbound suppliers, and make short-term assignments more viable.
Yet the trimmed scope underscores the difficulty many secondary Spanish airports face in attracting carriers now that aircraft shortages and high fuel prices are squeezing airline margins. Mobility managers should therefore remain cautious about relying on regional airports for time-critical travel until contracts are signed and published in the Official Journal of the EU.
The government aims to publish the tender “in the coming weeks,” with service start-up pencilled for late 2026. Winning bidders will have to maintain the routes year-round and meet minimum frequency and seat-capacity thresholds so that businesses can plan itineraries with confidence.
Tourism director Ana Rivas told Cadena SER that airlines are “reducing capacity and prioritising higher-yield hubs,” forcing Navarra to offer a more realistic subsidy. She stressed that the region must balance connectivity goals with fiscal prudence, promising “market-level prices and demonstrable economic returns” before public money is committed.
If these new links do get off the ground, corporate travellers will also need clarity on passport, visa and ETA formalities. VisaHQ’s Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) tracks the latest entry rules for the UK, Germany and Italy and can process the necessary applications online, saving travel managers time and helping employees avoid airport surprises.
For companies based in Navarra’s automotive, renewable-energy and agri-food clusters, the airport’s limited network has long been a pain point, pushing executives to drive to Bilbao or Zaragoza. A successful PSO could cut travel time for outbound sales teams and inbound suppliers, and make short-term assignments more viable.
Yet the trimmed scope underscores the difficulty many secondary Spanish airports face in attracting carriers now that aircraft shortages and high fuel prices are squeezing airline margins. Mobility managers should therefore remain cautious about relying on regional airports for time-critical travel until contracts are signed and published in the Official Journal of the EU.
The government aims to publish the tender “in the coming weeks,” with service start-up pencilled for late 2026. Winning bidders will have to maintain the routes year-round and meet minimum frequency and seat-capacity thresholds so that businesses can plan itineraries with confidence.
