Author Archives: Jorge Masot

Vueling about to catch Ryanair as the largest operator in Spain Standard

Vueling aircraft landed / Aero Icarus

The latest stats published by Aena leave Vueling about to catch Ryanair. So far in 2014, the Irish low cost airline has lost activity in Spain by 14.70%, serving 2.9 million passengers. However, Vueling increased by 22.6% between January and February reaching 2.8 million users. With this, Vueling has almost removed the difference that Ryanair had in the first two months of 2013: it was 1.11 million passengers and has become only 0.01 million customers now.It is difficult to foresee whether the Vueling’s approach will be consolidated as most of the Ryanair’s reduction has taken place during the winter season, when…

Agreement Iberia-handling employees Standard

Iberia A320 / Mikebert4

The negotiations between Iberia and the handling employees are expected to have finished by this week. Only a few days before the deadline for placing bids for the first handling tender on March, 20.Servimedia – Spanish news agency – was informed that Iberia achieved a deal with the representatives of the handling employees which would let them compete both in the handling tenders and in the aircraft maintenance market. To this respect, it is worth noting ActualidadAeroespacial informed that Iberia-Maintenance had reached an agreement with Evelop Airlines to perform the aircraft maintenance at the Iberia’s Barcelona base. In this market, Iberia intends to keep the Vueling’s contract,…

Air Europa to grow by 20% in 2014 Standard

Air Europa, A330 landing at Madrid airport / José Luis Celada Euba

Air Europa’s chairman, Juan José Hidalgo, attended a meeting on Wednesday. He confirmed they will be starting operations in the new skyTeam airline’s hub on May, 15 according to Europapress. Thanks to the agreement reached with Aena, Air Europa will concentrate all operations in terminals 1, 2 and 3 of Madrid airport. Mainly in T3 and T2 where they will operate domestic and Schengen flights, while they will use T1 for the long haul. The new hub will also allow Air Europa to boost connections between Madrid and Latin America, the Caribean or North America. Also, they expect to open new…

Foreign airlines will continue to grow in Málaga Standard

Málaga Airport Terminal - © Leoncio J / Flickr

Official data from Aena says eight out of the first ten operators in Málaga airport are not Spanish airlines. Malagahoy.es made contact with the management of four foreign airlines. They highlight the importance of Málaga for their companies although they showed their concern about the future, considering the doubts on the Aena’s privatisation process and the airport prices that will have to be paid in the medium and long term. This is a key to analyse the returns and decide the investments. Ryanair The leading company in Málaga is Ryanair. Last year they served nearly three million passengers, about double its closest competitor. This means…

The new Aena Charges are already in force Standard

Graph diagram pie chart 3d

The new Aena charges: On March, 1 the Spanish Official Gazette (BOE) published the Law 1/2014. Through this law, the expected changes in the Aena charges are made official and have therefore immediate effect.As a consequence of this law, all fees charged by Aena since March 1 will be updated as previously explained in this summary.The Aena charges have been updated in our Flight Cost Calculator accordingly for your easy check and understanding. If you have any doubt just leave us a message.Due to the fact that Aena stopped collecting the approach charge, this fee does not appear in our FC Calculator any longer.On the other…

Madrid and Iberia might be back Standard

Airport Screen with an Air Europa flight to Madrid

Analysing the ifnormation from the Spanish media we have the feeling that Madrid and Iberia might be back again soon. Good figures expected for MadridAccording to the Aena’s expectations that ABC.es published, based on the slot allocation, Barajas airport would increase passengers by 7.7% and flights by 5.5% during this summer season. Sources from Aena have confirmed to this office that the passenger increase is at the moment 7.2% and the operation increase 2.2%. These figures are still good in any case.An interesting graph comparing the traffic evolutions in Madrid and Barcelona between 2003 and 2013 is available here.17 new destinations have been scheduled from…

Regulatory framework on airport subventions Standard

consultation

Tomorrow, the European Commission is approving a new regulatory framework on public subventions to airports and airlines. Some countries might be affected, considering that most of their regional airports would have to close. This would be a plus point for the Spanish net usefulness, where the non profitable airports are protected without the need of direct airport subventions from the State.The new rules may change the map of the European aviation industry where the influence of the low cost airlines is significant. Also, the clarification of these rules would facilitate the interest from investors in the Aena’s eventual privatisation. Moreover, it should…

Aena increases the maximum handling prices by 14% in the tender for Iberia to enter the bidding process Standard

Iberia Handling containers in Madrid airport

Sources from Aena confirmed to ElDiario.es that they have increased the maximum handling prices that the operators will be able to offer during the current tender processes, which results are expected for March and July.The original terms and conditions of the tender established a maximum price of 1,050 Euros for the handling services given to an Airbus 320 in the smaller 22 airports of the Aena’s net. After several conversations with Iberia, this maximum price has been increased to 1,212 Euros – 14.4% higher. In the other 21 airports the expected maximum price is up to 35% higher. According to this information…

SNC Lavalin to manage Castellón airport Standard

The “man-plane” statue built by Juan Ripollés at Castellón Airport by Sanbec / Wikimedia Commons

The Canadian group SNC Lavalin Airports (subsidiary of the Canadian engineering firm SNC-Lavalin) will exploit the Castellón Airport during 20 years for 24.5 million Euros.The airport costed 170 million Euros of public money but has no flights so far after its inauguration nearly three years ago.The award has not been confirmed yet, but the agreement seems to be very near. Details are not known for the moment. Apart from those 24.5 million Euros, the Valencia autonomous region Government would get further incomes only in the case that the airport served over 1.2 million passengers. In this case, SNC Lavalin would pay 1 Euro…

Menzies: the main rival to Iberia in the Handling tender Standard

Menzies equipment at the platform

Menzies aim to place bids for every airport of the Aena’s net and present themselves as the main foreign rival to Iberia in the handling tender, expected to have finished by the end of this year.According to the information published by ElEconomista.es, Menzies Aviation’s chairman, Craig Smyth confirmed they placed bids for the whole airport net, paying special attention to the five biggest airports: Madrid, Barcelona, Palma, Málaga, and Alicante. All five to have 3 licenses each. Juan Lorenzo Vidal – general director for the Menzies Aviation Spanish branch – explained they will go to the tender on their own and not in…