A fierce public battle between the world’s airline body and Spain’s airport operator has erupted into open conflict, after IATA expressed outrage at claims by AENA’s Chairman that airlines pushing for lower airport charges were compromising passenger safety.
IATA Calls It Scaremongering
IATA Director General Willie Walsh was unsparing:
“Safety is the number one priority of airlines and the whole aviation industry. That the Chairman of AENA would misunderstand this is yet another indication that he is isolated from the fundamental realities of aviation including both safety and economics. Such scaremongering is highly inappropriate and shows the flimsy grounds AENA have for justifying their request for a 16% charges increase.”
The Money Trail
The financial numbers tell a damaging story for AENA. Over the last two regulatory periods, AENA earned €1.32 billion more in returns than permitted under Spain’s economic regulatory decisions. In 2024, AENA’s net profit margin reached 36.4% against an average European airline net margin of just 3.5%.
Read Also: Scaremongering by AENA Chairman Cannot Mask Flimsy Arguments for Increasing Airport Charges
IATA’s Regional Vice President for Europe Rafael Schvartzman was equally blunt:
“AENA has gamed the regulatory system for years, earning millions of euros more than it should have, at the expense of passengers, airlines, and the Spanish economy. This must stop.”
What IATA Is Proposing
IATA and Spain’s airline association ALA have jointly called for an annual reduction of 4.9% in Spanish airport charges between 2027 and 2031 a proposal they say would still fully fund AENA’s €10 billion investment programme.
Despite these challenges, airlines have delivered more affordable connectivity for Spain — with airfares falling 9% since 2019 when adjusted for inflation, and real fares dropping between 6% and 37% across Spain’s 15 largest airports over the last decade.
IATA says productive dialogue, not rhetoric, is the only path forward.
