Aena will propose an increase in airport charges in the Dora III (2027-2031) so that "the numbers add up" and aims for a moderate increase, lower than in 2026, so that they remain among the lowest in Europe.
In an interview with *Expansión*, Aena president Maurici Lucena emphasizes that a series of airports, such as Barcelona, Madrid, Málaga, Alicante, Bilbao, and Tenerife Norte, are approaching their limits, and that we are moving from a period without major capacity expansions to 10 years of construction and significant amplifications because airlines are requesting more capacityHe maintains that fares have fallen by 32% in real terms between 2015 and 2024, but tickets have risen significantly. He adds that operating expenses will be higher, that airports are older and require more maintenance; due to inflation and the increase in the minimum wage; due to greater security requirements; because monetary conditions have tightened and the airport sector has more riskHe believes that traffic will grow, but less, and that this will lead to a nominal increase in fares compared to a 32% reduction in the last decade.Likewise, he believes that in Europe, not just in Spain, there is a growing consensus that excessive dependence on Ryanair, given its behavior, would not always be good, and he understands that recovering the routes abandoned by the Irish low-cost airline will be slowFinally, Lucena sees it as compatible to maintain the current "payout," finance all of Dora III's investments with a combination of equity and debt, and address, if deemed desirable, some international operation.
