Travellers face higher fees at Spanish airports from 2026
Aena, Spain’s airport operator, has approved a 6.5% rise in airport charges, bringing the cost per passenger to €11.03 starting from 1st March 2026.
The decision was made by Aena’s Board of Directors on Tuesday as part of its updated pricing structure for the 2026 financial year.
The increase means passengers will pay €0.68 more than the current rate.
According to Aena, the adjustment is necessary to safeguard its financial sustainability, particularly given that it receives no funding from Spain’s General State Budget.
Of the €0.68 increase, €0.45 is to make up for costs from 2024 that were not recovered at the time (known as the K-factor). The remaining €0.17 comes from a standard adjustment to airport fees (called Index P), which was recently approved by the National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC).
With an expected 320 million passengers in 2025, the new rate is projected to bring in an extra €218 million for Aena’s regulated airport operations. In 2024, this part of the business generated €3.19 billion out of the company’s total revenue of €5.83 billion.
The move has drawn criticism from several airlines, like Ryanair, which has already cut 800,000 seats and suspended routes at regional airports in response to rising operational costs.
However, Aena argues that even with the increase, its charges remain lower than they were in 2015 and are still up to 60% cheaper than fees at major European hubs like Heathrow.
Political groups in Tenerife are calling on the Spanish government to exempt the Canary Islands from Aena’s planned 6.5% rise in airport charges, arguing that the increase would harm residents’ mobility, raise the cost of living, and weaken the region’s tourism competitiveness.
They stress that air travel in the Canaries is a necessity rather than a luxury, given the archipelago’s remote and insular nature, and have urged the government to recognise the unique challenges faced by island communities.
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