Canary Islands challenge Aena's new airport bus fee
The public interest must prevail “over the particular and revenue‑driven interest of the company. Aena’s 51 % remains owned by the Spanish Government.” The Canary Islands government and tourism‑transport operators warn that the new fee will affect roughly 150 tourist‑transport companies, operating about 4,700 shuttle buses.
The regional government says it will exhaust “all channels of dialogue” to block the fee Aena plans to impose on shuttle buses accessing the airports and will begin to “raise the tone” if a favorable response is not obtained.
“All channels of dialogue will be used, and we will raise the tone if necessary,” said Public Works Minister Pablo Rodríguez (CC) during a joint press conference with the Canary Confederation of Employers and tourism‑transport employers.
Rodríguez rejected Aena’s “excuse” that the charge derives from its commercial plan, emphasizing his “support for the sector’s claim” because he views the fee as “purely revenue‑driven and unsupported by any policy of the Canary Islands Government or the State.”
He argued that the fee “directly clashes with the sustainable mobility and collective‑transport agenda championed by the Executive.”
“The fee, whether already imposed or merely intended, contradicts our commitment to sustainable, collective transport,” Rodríguez asserted.
Last week, the ministry sent letters to the Ministry of Transport, noting that “Aena’s 51 % ownership remains with the Spanish Government,” and demanding that “the general interest outweigh the company’s particular, revenue‑focused interest.”
The letters also invoked Article 161 of the Canary Islands Statute of Autonomy, requesting a co‑management procedure for the airports so that “the Canary Islands participate in the management of these facilities.”
Rodríguez condemned the measure as being “imposed through a decision already taken as a fait‑accompli.”
“In several meetings they claimed a space problem, which is not true,” he said, adding that his department had proposed alternatives such as the external parking model used at Palma de Mallorca Airport, where shuttle buses park outside and are managed from the passenger‑pickup zone.
“That option received no response, yet it could be implemented at virtually 100 % of the Canary Islands’ airports,” Rodríguez noted, accusing authorities of “excuses to hide the real purpose, which is purely revenue‑raising.”
Rodríguez also confirmed that he has spoken with President Fernando Clavijo, who will approach Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to “accelerate all dialogue channels.”
The president of the Canary Confederation of Employers, Pedro Ortega, echoed the sentiment, stating that the fee “bypasses the statutes that govern us,” imposing “additional costs on the tourism sector and undermining our competitiveness and the regulations we defend.”
“There is a lack of sensitivity toward the Canary Islands, as it ignores that the only way tourists can arrive is via collective transport,” Ortega added.
Ortega argued that “dialogue and solutions should have been sought before taking this measure,” noting that the decision was made “behind closed doors.”
Data from José Ángel Hernández, secretary‑general of the Canary Transport Entrepreneurs Federation, estimate an extra cost of about €6,000 per month per company, potentially higher for some operators.
“This represents a direct attack on the Canary Islands’ mobility system,” Hernández warned, reminding that the region hosts approximately 150 tourist‑transport firms operating around 4,700 shuttle buses.
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 26 December (EFE).