The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Spain’s Airline Association (ALA) issued a joint position paper on 18 February calling for a 4.9 percent annual reduction in regulated aeronautical fees at Spain’s airports between 2027 and 2031. The demand is a direct rebuttal to airport operator Aena, whose draft DORA III regulatory proposal seeks to raise charges by 3.8 percent a year before inflation.
IATA argues that Aena chronically under-forecasts passenger traffic, then pockets ‘excess regulated returns.’ Between 2017 and 2025, actual traffic exceeded forecasts by an average 15 percent, generating an estimated €1.3 billion in surplus profits. In 2024 alone, IATA claims airlines and passengers over-paid almost €400 million. The industry contends that with traffic expected to grow 3.6 percent annually, Aena could still fund its €10 billion investment programme while earning a 6.35 percent return even if charges fall.
For multinational companies moving talent through Spain’s 46 Aena-run airports, charges feed directly into ticket prices. A 4.9 percent cut would translate into lower bilateral airfare budgets and strengthen Madrid and Barcelona hubs against competing EU gateways. Conversely, Aena warns that slashing fees risks under-funding terminal expansions crucial for handling forecast demand from digital-nomad migrants, cruise-turnaround volumes and the 2030 FIFA World-Cup bid.
![Airlines Urge 4.9 % Cut to Spanish Airport Charges, Reject Aena’s Planned Hike]()
While airlines and regulators debate the cost side, travellers must also navigate Spain’s entry requirements. Online platform VisaHQ streamlines visa and residence-permit applications, offering corporate travel managers and individual passengers a fast, trackable way to secure documentation before departure (https://www.visahq.com/spain/).
Regulators at Spain’s National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC) must now review both proposals. Corporate travel buyers, who already face inflation-linked fare surcharges, will watch whether Spain follows Italy and Portugal in freezing or reducing airport tariffs to stimulate connectivity. A decision is expected before year-end so that airlines can file 2027 pricing.
If IATA prevails, Spain could become one of Europe’s most cost-competitive aviation markets, reinforcing its popularity for international assignments and near-shoring projects. But should Aena secure its increase, expect carriers to pass costs on via fuel-surcharge-style ‘airport recovery fees,’ blunting Spain’s bid to attract high-value business travel.
IATA argues that Aena chronically under-forecasts passenger traffic, then pockets ‘excess regulated returns.’ Between 2017 and 2025, actual traffic exceeded forecasts by an average 15 percent, generating an estimated €1.3 billion in surplus profits. In 2024 alone, IATA claims airlines and passengers over-paid almost €400 million. The industry contends that with traffic expected to grow 3.6 percent annually, Aena could still fund its €10 billion investment programme while earning a 6.35 percent return even if charges fall.
For multinational companies moving talent through Spain’s 46 Aena-run airports, charges feed directly into ticket prices. A 4.9 percent cut would translate into lower bilateral airfare budgets and strengthen Madrid and Barcelona hubs against competing EU gateways. Conversely, Aena warns that slashing fees risks under-funding terminal expansions crucial for handling forecast demand from digital-nomad migrants, cruise-turnaround volumes and the 2030 FIFA World-Cup bid.
While airlines and regulators debate the cost side, travellers must also navigate Spain’s entry requirements. Online platform VisaHQ streamlines visa and residence-permit applications, offering corporate travel managers and individual passengers a fast, trackable way to secure documentation before departure (https://www.visahq.com/spain/).
Regulators at Spain’s National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC) must now review both proposals. Corporate travel buyers, who already face inflation-linked fare surcharges, will watch whether Spain follows Italy and Portugal in freezing or reducing airport tariffs to stimulate connectivity. A decision is expected before year-end so that airlines can file 2027 pricing.
If IATA prevails, Spain could become one of Europe’s most cost-competitive aviation markets, reinforcing its popularity for international assignments and near-shoring projects. But should Aena secure its increase, expect carriers to pass costs on via fuel-surcharge-style ‘airport recovery fees,’ blunting Spain’s bid to attract high-value business travel.
