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Category Archives: Regulations

Fuel licenses out to tender in the Spanish airports Standard

Shell Petrol Tanker at airport / Flickr-Carlos Manuel Reyes Santos

Aena is putting 37 fuel licenses out to tender for 39 airports of the net. These fuel licenses are expected to last for seven years. A previous consultation process is being started with airlines.Thus, Aena is starting to renew the fuel licenses through a workshop which is open to the airport user committee in which airlines are integrated. This is intended for them to participate in the definition of the tender terms and conditions.The consultation process is expected to last for two months. With its conclusions, Aena will define and publish the terms and conditions.A two-phased tenderIn the first phase…

Canary Islands new routes tendered by the Region Standard

Tenerife South airport terminal / Flickr - rromer

In March 2013, the president of the Autonomous Region announced a Flight Development Fund would be created to boost Canary Islands new routes. EuropaPress published the information when this blog did not exist yet.This morning, Preferente.com informs that the first six Canary Islands new routes have been put out for tender. Therefore, airlines can place bids to cover these destinations: Tenerife – New York. Gran Canaria – Rome. La Gomera – London. La Palma – Leipzig. Lanzarote – Lyon. Fuerteventura – Paris. In the forthcoming months the government of the Region is expected to put out for tender other Canary Islands new routes.Ricardo Fernández…

ENAIRE: Catalá replaces Vargas Standard

Barcelona airport ATC tower / Victor

Last Tuesday, the Spanish Official Gazette (BOE) published the José Manuel Vargas cessation as chairman of the public company ENAIRE.The Royal Decree published in BOE on the 5th of July considered, with Article 18, two name changes: On the one hand, the change from Aena Aeropuertos, S.A. to Aena, S.A. This is the airport owner, the part of Aena which is being privatised. On the other hand, Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea – AENA – becomes ENAIRE.As we had already explained, the part of Aena which used to be responsible for air navigation is, therefore, from now on ENAIRE. It will continue to be a public company…

DORA approved through a Royal Decree Standard

Aena’s electric cars at Madrid airport / Flickr-Ministerio de Fomento

Last Saturday, the expected Royal Decree was published in the Spanish official gazette (BOE). In a 172-page document with different changes to the regulations currently in force, the Aena privatisation and tariff freeze has been confirmed. At the same time, the Document for Airport Regulation – DORA – has been defined. Several Spanish media inform about some of the changes specified in this Royal Decree. Above all, they deal with the tariff freeze and the fact that the Government will keep 51% of the company. Javier Gándara about the new regulation It is noteworthy the article by Javier Gándara—General Director for easyJet—in an op-ed piece at CincoDías….

Aena tariff freeze until 2025 Standard

Madrid airport Terminal 4

Aena tariff freeze: The ministry of Development—Fomento—is ready for the Aena tariff freeze in the Spanish airports until 2025.The Royal Decree draft of the Document for Airport Regulation (DORA) takes into consideration the Aena tariff freeze until 2025. This is expected just after the confirmation of the privatisation by 49% of Aena Aeropuertos.The target is to bring more traffic to the Spanish airports. Hence, the Aena tariff freeze will be subject to conditions such as “possible regulatory changes or unforeseen occurrences”.Thus, the draft fixes the Aena tariff freeze until 2025 provided that the investments in the net are not over 450 million Euros…

Aena Privatisation: Competition disagrees, Ryanair interested Standard

Ryanair and Iberia in competition

As soon as the Aena privatisation was definitely confirmed by the Minister many thoughts, interpretations and declarations have appeared in the Spanish media. Since this is something that we have been following very closely, we have extracted some pieces of news which may be relevant to the subject.The National Competition Commission disagreesFirst of all, ElMundo.es published a thorough article informing that the Spanish Competition Commission is not happy with the privatisation as it has been planned by the Government. In their view, it will not benefit the industry to keep the airport net monopoly. For Competition it would be better to separate Aena in…

AECFA and New Tax starting 15th of September Standard

Aena logos at Barcelona airport / Lali Masriera

Last Tuesday 17th of June, Spanish Ministry of Fomento (Development) designated Asociación Española para la Coordinación y Facilitación de Franjas horarias (AECFA) as Slot Coordinator and Facilitator of the Spanish Airports within the Aenanet. Further to our post of 20th of January this change in the coordinator is in order to meet the European Regulation 95/93 about slot coordination in European airports which pretends an independent coordination from airlines and airports. The new association is primary made up of Aena (50%) and a number of airlines (50%): Iberia, Iberia Express, Vueling, Air Nostrum, Air Europa, Ryanair, Swiftair, Thomson Airways, Condor, Thomas Cook Airlines Ltd., Binter Canarias , Naysa and Canair The assignation of AECFA as Spanish coordinator and Mr….

Aena privatisation is confirmed Standard

Lufthansa takeoff shot from Barcelona airport terminal / Kozumel

Ana Pastor – Minister of Development – managed to succeed with her plans and they will finally go ahead with the Aena privatisation. Aena will make an initial public offering (IPO) this autumn. However, they will put on sale only 49% of the company instead of 60% as their Consulting Council of Privatisation (CCP) had recommended.A smaller part through the same privatisation system.The council of ministers reached an agreement last Friday. Thus, they confirmed the Aena privatisation will be distributed in two phases: 28% through an IPO, and 21% for a stable nucleus with at least three main shareholders. This is…

The TCO Regulation effective as from today Standard

EASA logo

The Commission Regulation (EU) 452/2014, so-called TCO (Third Country Operator) Regulation, has entered into force today.The TCO Regulation was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 6th May 2014 to be effective on 26th May.From now on and during the next six months, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is accepting from non-EU operators that intend to fly to EU territory, the formal applications for a TCO safety authorization that will be valid for the entire European Union. The TCO will be a precondition for obtaining the operating permit in each Member State, which will require a separate procedure.We will…

European Commission criticizes the opacity on Aena’s charges Standard

Madrid airport Terminal 4

Spanish Airports are not transparent enough with regard to airport charges.This is the main conclusion extracted from a report published on Monday by the European Commission about the implementation of the airport charges policy.The report also estates that Aena do not discuss with airlines the changes applied in this area, so they do not comply with the regulation.The Law in question, which came into force in 2011, requires airports to discuss regularly with airlines about the airport charges, particularly when they are going to be modified. They must also inform about the runways and terminal costs taken into account to…