Key organizations involved
ACI Europe – represents European airports.
International Air Transport Association (IATA) – represents airlines worldwide.
Aena – the state-majority-owned operator of Spain’s airports.
What the conflict is about
IATA is urging Aena to reduce airport charges in Spain between 2027 and 2031, arguing that airlines and passengers are paying too much.
At the same time, IATA says Aena should continue funding its €13 billion airport and infrastructure investment program.
ACI Europe is pushing back, saying that cutting fees while maintaining large-scale investment is unrealistic.
Fee proposals
IATA position:
Reduce airport charges by 4.9% from 2027–2031.
Claims Aena has historically underestimated traffic growth, leading to excess regulated returns.
Aena / ACI Europe position:
Fees are planned to rise gradually by less than 4% annually.
Cutting charges would put infrastructure upgrades at risk.
Key criticism from IATA
IATA’s Europe Vice President, Rafael Schvartzman, argues that:
Aena has “gamed” the regulatory system by using conservative traffic forecasts.
This allegedly allowed the operator to earn higher-than-intended returns.
Therefore, further fee increases are unjustified.
Why this matters
This dispute reflects a broader tension across Europe:
Airlines want lower airport costs to keep ticket prices competitive.
Airports argue that stable or rising fees are necessary to fund capacity expansion, modernization, and sustainability projects.
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