[REVISION HISTORY]

Alicante-Elche Airport expansion plans

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2026-08-23 18:42 UTC → 2026-08-24 05:16 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport is undergoing capacity improvements following significant passenger growth. While the Generalitat Valenciana has advocated for a second runway to compete with other major hubs, the Spanish Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, has rejected that proposal, stating it ‘does not make sense’ at this time. Instead, the government and Aena are prioritizing terminal ~~expansion. A 15.6 million euro contract has been awarded to design improvements that will increase the terminal surface by approximately 30%~~ expansion, improving taxiways, and ~~add new~~ adding more boarding bridges to accommodate non-Schengen flights. This strategy aims to increase the airport's capacity to 26 million passengers annually. These efforts are part of a broader 13 billion euro investment plan across Spanish airports scheduled between 2027 and 2030. Recent data shows the airport reached a record 19.9 million passengers in 2025, an 8.5% increase from the previous year. Amid these developments, Minister Puente addressed tensions with Ryanair, accusing the airline of ‘disguising its problems’ regarding aircraft shortages by pressuring the government for lower airport fees. He suggested that Ryanair’s shift of capacity from regional airports to larger hubs like Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona-El Prat is driven by route profitability rather than tariff costs.

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