Airport operator Aena has tendered a €16.2 million, five-year contract to manage the comprehensive remodelling of Ibiza Airport, according to a 22 June notice. The works will double the number of boarding gates from 17 to 32, install eight new passenger air-bridges and, crucially for international operators, create an independent area for flights outside the Schengen zone. A centralised biometric passport-control hall will replace dispersed booths, aligning the Balearic gateway with the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) that becomes mandatory later this year. Carry-on security lanes will adopt CT scanners so passengers can keep liquids and laptops in their bags—a change expected to cut queue times by 30 % during the summer rush. The project also upgrades accessibility—adding quiet rooms, PRM assistance points and larger lifts—and expands commercial space, reflecting the airport’s rebound to a projected 10 million passengers in 2026. For corporate-travel planners, the separate non-Schengen wing means clearer flows for UK, US and Latin-American routes frequently used by offshore energy and tech teams rotating through Ibiza. Construction will be phased outside peak-season hours, but airlines have been warned of occasional night-time slot constraints.
Source: Cadena SER
