Alicante-Elche Airport: Minister rejects second runway plans

Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente has rejected proposals for a second runway at Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport, stating that such an infrastructure ‘has no sense’ at this time. Instead, the government intends to prioritize expanding the terminal, improving taxiways, and adding more boarding bridges to accommodate growing passenger numbers. In 2025, the airport saw a record 19.9 million passengers, an 8.5% increase from the previous year.

Puente also addressed tensions with Ryanair, accusing the airline of ‘disguising its problems’ regarding aircraft shortages by pressuring the government for lower airport fees from Aena. He noted that Ryanair has been shifting capacity from regional airports to larger hubs like Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona-El Prat, suggesting the move is driven by route profitability rather than tariff costs.

Regarding tourism management, the minister expressed that it is ‘reasonable’ for municipalities facing high floating populations, such as Benidorm, to implement tourist taxes to fund essential services like cleaning and policing. While the regional government in Andalusia has resisted local requests for such taxes, Puente noted that several regions in Spain already utilize these fees to manage the pressure of visitor influxes.