Overview

• Aena has launched consultations with airlines on a 6–6.5% tariff increase for 2026—a rise that encompasses 45 cents per passenger of deferred 2024 revenue—and will seek final approval from its board and the CNMC.
• The proposed adjustment would end a decade of frozen charges and fund Aena’s multibillion-euro DORA 3 investment plan for 2027–2031, including capacity expansions at Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona-El Prat.
• Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has warned that the carrier will enact substantial winter cuts and could close under-utilized regional airports if fees are not lowered.
• This summer, Ryanair already removed 800,000 seats, canceled 12 routes and halted service at Jerez and Valladolid in protest over high operating charges.
• Airlines now await the outcome of Aena’s board decision and regulatory sign-off to determine how the revised tariff path will shape capacity plans.