ONCE again, Spain holds more blue flags for its beaches and marinas than any other country in the world – a record it has held without interruption for 30 years.
Record year for Spanish airports: 230 million passengers in 2016
14/01/2017
AIRPORTS in Spain had a record year in 2016 with 230 million passengers travelling to and from, and within, the country.
The tourism boom seen last year, partly caused by feelings of insecurity in other traditional sunshine destinations such as Tunisia, Turkey and Egypt, meant an 11% rise on passenger traffic seen in 2015 and even beat the last-recorded figures in the year before the financial crisis started.
Back in 2007, Spain's airports registered a total of 210.5 million travellers throughout the year, which until now has been the highest number in history.
And now, with an extra 19.5 million as Spain welcomed 70 million tourists – more than the entire population of the UK and more than one-and-a-half times that of Spain itself – air passenger numbers have never been so high.
If the trend continues, air terminal governing body AENA expects a further 5% increase in 2017, and to break the 240 million barrier in 2020.
The newly-appointed minister of public works, transport and infrastructure, Íñigo de la Serna, calls the figures 'extraordinary' and says in the next few days, the government will reveal its position concerning airport tax levels over the next five years.
New airline tariffs will be released on March 1 for 2017.
De la Serna says at present, his ministry is not considering privatising a further chunk of AENA, and that in any case, no decisions will be taken in the short-term, 'meaning the next few weeks or months'.
AENA is hoping to be able to freeze airport taxes between now and 2021 inclusive, whilst the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) is calling for them to go down by 2%.
It will be the Council of Ministers, the government's in-house committee of department leaders, which will have the final say.
Taxes charged to airlines for use of a given airport have a bearing on the price of travel and explain why some destinations are cheaper or more expensive than others.
Related Topics
AIRPORTS in Spain had a record year in 2016 with 230 million passengers travelling to and from, and within, the country.
The tourism boom seen last year, partly caused by feelings of insecurity in other traditional sunshine destinations such as Tunisia, Turkey and Egypt, meant an 11% rise on passenger traffic seen in 2015 and even beat the last-recorded figures in the year before the financial crisis started.
Back in 2007, Spain's airports registered a total of 210.5 million travellers throughout the year, which until now has been the highest number in history.
And now, with an extra 19.5 million as Spain welcomed 70 million tourists – more than the entire population of the UK and more than one-and-a-half times that of Spain itself – air passenger numbers have never been so high.
If the trend continues, air terminal governing body AENA expects a further 5% increase in 2017, and to break the 240 million barrier in 2020.
The newly-appointed minister of public works, transport and infrastructure, Íñigo de la Serna, calls the figures 'extraordinary' and says in the next few days, the government will reveal its position concerning airport tax levels over the next five years.
New airline tariffs will be released on March 1 for 2017.
De la Serna says at present, his ministry is not considering privatising a further chunk of AENA, and that in any case, no decisions will be taken in the short-term, 'meaning the next few weeks or months'.
AENA is hoping to be able to freeze airport taxes between now and 2021 inclusive, whilst the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) is calling for them to go down by 2%.
It will be the Council of Ministers, the government's in-house committee of department leaders, which will have the final say.
Taxes charged to airlines for use of a given airport have a bearing on the price of travel and explain why some destinations are cheaper or more expensive than others.
Related Topics
More News & Information
THE average Spanish resident will spend between €500 and €1,500 on their holidays this year, with three in 10 set to increase their budget from last year and 16% reducing it.
SPAIN'S State post office has launched a new solution for passing travellers who do not want to lug their suitcases around: Lockers for bags are now provided, with prices depending upon weight.
IF YOU'RE in the Comunidad Valenciana any time between now and the early hours of March 20, you may notice an awful lot of noise and colour on the streets. It's the season for the region's biggest festival,...