Spain is investing a massive £11.2billion (€13 billion) to upgrade its major airports as the government set aside the funds to boost the passenger capacity at its busiest hubs. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez unveiled the major plan during his visit to Alicante Airport. The upgrade work will take place between 2027 and 2031.
Nearly £8.6 billion (€10 billion) will go toward expanding airport infrastructure, while £1.29 billion (€1.5 billion) is set aside for sustainability initiatives. Barcelona-El Prat and Madrid-Barajas are the biggest beneficiaries, receiving £2.75 billion (€3.2 billion) and £2.06 billion (€2.4 billion) respectively for upgrades like a new terminal in Barcelona and a major revamp of Madrid’s T4. Popular tourist destinations will also see improvements, with Malaga getting £1.29 billion (€1.5 billion), Alicante £946 million (€1.1 billion), Valencia £344 million (€400 million), and Tenerife’s airports receiving £688 million (€800 million) combined.
However, the announcement of the airport upgrade plan has stirred controversy, especially as it came just days after Ryanair cut over a million seats from its Spanish routes in protest over rising landing fees, accusing airport operator Aena of making flying unaffordable.
Aena responded by accusing the airline of “blackmail.” Environmental groups have also voiced strong opposition, warning that the large-scale developments could harm ecosystems at a time when reducing carbon emissions is critical.
Despite the criticism, Prime Minister Sánchez defends the plan—known as “DORA III”—as essential to prevent overcrowding, with Barcelona Airport already nearing its 60 million passenger capacity. Major construction isn’t expected to begin until 2030, but Spain’s tourism numbers are projected to keep climbing in the meantime.
Ryanair is making major cuts to its Spanish operations, starting with the closure of its base and an 80 percent reduction in flights, including the cancellation of key routes to cities like London Stansted, Dublin, Milan, Brussels, Porto, Edinburgh, and Rome.
At Vigo Airport, all flights will be suspended from January 2026, while Tenerife North will see operations end completely by late October 2025. Several other regional airports—Zaragoza, Santander, Asturias, Vitoria, Valladolid, and Jerez—will also face reduced services as part of the airline’s broader scale-back.
Despite scaling back operations at several regional airports, Ryanair is boosting its presence at major Spanish hubs such as Malaga, Palma, Alicante, and Valencia.
The airline is shifting capacity from smaller locations to these busier airports, aiming to concentrate its services where demand is strongest and infrastructure is more robust.
