Ibiza’s Parliament voted unanimously on 30 September to compel AENA president Mauricio Lucena to explain why official documents describe the island’s airport upgrade as a capacity-boosting project, despite public claims that the works are merely to improve passenger comfort. Lawmakers suspect the expansion could push annual throughput beyond nine million passengers and strain local infrastructure. Background: AENA’s own traffic forecasts show Ibiza is already nearing its pre-pandemic ceiling, driven in part by the island’s growing community of remote workers and tech start-ups attracted by Spain’s new digital-nomad visa. Hoteliers and rental-car firms welcome the prospect of more flights, but the regional government fears housing shortages and road congestion will worsen. For global-mobility teams the stakes are concrete. An expanded terminal could bring new direct routes, easing corporate travel, yet tighter environmental rules may emerge as a political trade-off—potentially adding eco-taxes to tickets from 2028. What’s next: Lucena has ten days to submit technical drawings and environmental-impact studies; failure to appear could trigger a formal censure motion. AENA says it will cooperate and notes that any capacity increase would still fall within EU noise-abatement limits. Companies planning relocations to Ibiza should monitor the timetable, as construction phases may affect flight schedules between late 2027 and summer 2028.
Source: Cadena SER – Radio Ibiza
