Spanish airport operator Aena has awarded a €6.37 million, three-year contract to Madrid-based Skyway to provide Aerodrome Flight Information Services (AFIS) and combined tower/flight-information functions at La Gomera, Burgos, Córdoba, Huesca-Pirineos and El Hierro airports. The decision, announced on 31 March, includes two optional one-year extensions, signalling a longer-term commitment to regional connectivity. AFIS is deployed at low-traffic airports where a full air-traffic-control tower is not economically viable; certified officers supply pilots with real-time weather, runway and traffic data, allowing safe self-separation. Aena says outsourcing will reduce operating costs by up to 20 % while aligning Spain with best-practice models in Norway and Finland. For business travellers and expatriates based on Spain’s islands and inland provinces, the upgrade is expected to translate into more reliable schedules and the possibility of new point-to-point routes. Canary Islands carrier Binter has already indicated interest in launching a twice-weekly La Gomera–Gran Canaria service once the AFIS unit becomes operational in October. Skyway will deploy digital towers with high-definition panoramic cameras and infrared sensors, meaning flight-information officers can work from a centralised hub in Madrid when weather permits. The system is designed to integrate with Europe’s Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) data-sharing standards, paving the way for unmanned aerial cargo demonstrations in 2027. Corporate mobility managers should check GDS timetables carefully during the switchover period: NOTAMs will announce short runway closures for equipment installation between July and September. Travellers should also expect revised check-in cut-off times while new procedures are bedded in.
Source: Europa Press
