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The Minister confirms they are freezing charges in 2015 Standard

New Barcelona airport terminal

We informed yesterday that Aena would soften their charge increases or even freeze them despite the agreement reached in 2013. Today, the Spanish Minister of Development has announced the charges will be definitely frozen in 2015.Thus, Aena published this morning a press release which we have translated as follows: Pastor announces the airport charges will be frozen for 2015 and extends the incentives   Proposes a cero increase instead of the expected 4.5% The savings achieved thanks to the cost reduction plan in the last two years, together with the traffic increase make this possible Aena forgoes income by 151 million Euros…

Aena to soften the charge increase or even to freeze them Standard

Iberia's plane Terminal 4

AENA started in February the consultation process to set the charges for 2015, as established by the agreement signed on 23rd May 2013 between Aena Aeropuertos and the Airline Associations.As agreed, the maximum charge increase for 2015 was set at CPI plus three points. With regard to 2016, 2017 and 2018 a maximum charge increase of CPI plus four points was fixed.However, according to the information from EuropaPress this morning – based on sources from ACETA – during the meetings held so far both parties agreed that the positive traffic evolution during the months of January (2.5%) and February (3.1%) lead to expect traffic…

Flight Consulting interview by ATC supervisor Standard

Flight Conssulting Interview in ATC Magazine

We are proud to share the Flight Consulting interview by Mr. Cayetano de Martí – ATC supervisor from the Canary Island ACC – for USCA Magazine. Please find below our free translation:   The aviation Industry is not just aircrafts and airlines. There are hundreds of activities around. Without them there would not be air transport. This is the case of Flight Consulting, a small Spanish company operating since more than twenty years ago which provides advice about all the problems behind each operation.   We think it is dramatic that a flight has to be cancelled because there is no way…

Ryanair is planning to grow in Madrid, to shrink in Barcelona Standard

Strait of Gibraltar view from a Ryanair’s plane / flickr.com

Last month we informed that Vueling was about to catch Ryanair as the largest operator in Spain. Now, latest data collected from Aena confirm that, with the month of March over, Vueling has become the first operator in the Spanish airports as a matter of fact. Between January and March they have served 4.60 million passengers, ahead of Ryanair which transported 4,57 million people within the same period. However, aiming to keep their position, they announced some changes with regard to their operations in Spain:First of all, according to ABC.es Ryanair will connect Madrid with six new destinations, i.e. Bremen,Catania, Cologne, Eindhoven, Fes and Warsow, all to start in…

The Canary Islands increase offer to the UK and Germany respectively by over 34% Standard

Photo: Condor aircraft landing at Lanzarote airport

One more season starts and, as usual, we have updated our data base with fresh details, both for the just finished season – winter 2013 – and for the new season which now starts – summer 2014 – for you to be able to use our Airport Statistics web tool. We have also spent some time using this tool and, going through the Canary Islands in particular, reached some conclusions which may be of your interest: The Canary Islands increase offer to their main destinations. Lanzarote The number of seats offered by the airlines from Lanzarote airport increased by 22% in…

The current Air Nostrum CEO to become the owner Standard

Air Nostrum CRJ-200ER at Lanzarote airport

Air Nostrum hired the services from Seabury to analyse and sell the airline. Today, Levante-emv.com informs that the current Air Nostrum CEO, Carlos Bertomeu, has decided to make a strong commitment to the airline by putting his own money. For this purpose, he has the support from his partners of the Valencian Infertility Institute to invest in such a difficult and changing industry.“Creativity, determination, long-term thinking, humility and ability to correct mistakes are, in my view, the values to start a business from the scratch” Bertomeu said during a cabin crew course closure. Values which he will have to apply in his new…

Madrid charges: Agreement for reduction Standard

Iberia aircrafts at Madrid airport / jmiguel rodriguez

The President of the Madrid Autonomous Region, Mr. Ignacio González, announced yesterday that an agreement with Iberia and Aena has been reached to reduce Madrid charges. Adolfo Suárez, Madrid-Barajas is the airport’s brand new name. González anticipated that 17 new routes will be opened.Last week, the Minister of Development, Ms. Ana Pastor, had met Mr. González, the Madrid Mayor – Ms. Ana Botella – and Mr. Luis Gallego – Iberia’s chairman, to promote air traffic in Madrid airport.During the meeting, also attended by the AENA’s chairman Mr. José Manuel Vargas, representatives of the Ministry of Development, the City Hall and the Autonomous Region,…

Aena becomes profitable Standard

Aena’s logo at Madrid Airport / David

Aena becomes profitable: The Aena Group published a press release confirming they had become profitable with benifits by 715 million Euros in 2013. According to elEconomista.es this has been possible thanks to cuts in costs and increases in fees.Thus, the EBITDA – gross operating profit – reached 1,610 million Euros, 32.5% over those 1,215 million of 2012.Most of these net benefits come from Aena Aeropuertos which, for the first time, managed to be profitable and finished 2013 with a net income of 597 million Euros. In 2012 they had a loss by 75.7 million Euros.The Government is trying to privatise Aena Aeropuertos since June 2011 when the…

10 bids have been placed for the Handling licenses in 22 Spanish airports Standard

A380 receiving ground handling services at Frankfurtt

On March, 20 Aena launched a press release informing on the bids that had been placed for the ramp handling licenses to be tendered in the Spanish airports as per the Terms and Conditions that had been anticipated.This is our translation into English:20 March 2014 10 bids have been placed for the public tender called by Aena to award the licenses for 22 airports of the net. In particular, these bids are referred to the first phase of the tender on ground handling to third parties for 22 airports which serve less than one million passengers a year and have an only handling agent….

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…