The Canary Islands Councillor for Tourism and Employment, Jéssica de León, has made a strong case for the islands to be considered an “exception” to the proposed 4.09% increase in airport fees by Aena, scheduled to take effect in March. She emphasized that this request is grounded in the unique status of the archipelago as an isolated territory, making it impractical to treat it on par with the national airport network. This distinction, she noted, is enshrined in the Economic and Fiscal Regime (REF).
De León underscored the essential nature of air transport in the Canary Islands, not only as a necessity for its citizens but also as a linchpin of the islands’ primary industry, tourism. She expressed concerns that the fee increase could potentially harm this vital sector.
The Government of the Canary Islands highlighted that the Councillor had previously conveyed this stance in October to Aena‘s President and CEO, Maurici Lucena, during a working meeting. During that encounter, she stressed the necessity for the Canary Islands to be exempted from the fee hike.
De León emphasized that in the Canary Islands, airports play a crucial role in territorial cohesion, and any increase in fees would ultimately impact both residents and tourists. She pointed out that the REF is unambiguous in Article 4, which stipulates the need for reductions or bonuses on port and airport taxes in the Canary Islands to ensure competitiveness with national-level rates. This is particularly important to maintain competitiveness with alternative ports and airports due to their geographic proximity.
Ultimately, the announcement of the fee increase comes at a challenging time, marked by uncertainty related to inflationary fluctuations, the implementation of emission rights, and a technical recession in Germany, according to the Canary Islands Executive.
