The director of Ibiza airport on the expansion: "It is not to receive more tourists"

PalmaThe director of Eivissa Airport, Marta Torres, defended this Thursday the expansion project promoted by Aena and denied that the objective is to increase the infrastructure's capacity or attract more tourists. "There is no intention related to a change in capacity," she assured during a press conference in which she presented the main lines of an action that foresees an investment of 230 million euros between 2027 and 2031.

Torres stressed that the airport is a "key" infrastructure for Eivissa and that the reform responds to the need to modernize facilities that have not undergone a major transformation since the works carried out between 2008 and 2013. As she explained, the changes are mainly linked to adaptation to new European safety regulations and the improvement of operational processes.

One of the most important actions will be the construction of a new pier for flights outside the Schengen area, especially those from or destined for the United Kingdom. Since last October, European regulations require more exhaustive checks for passengers from these countries, which necessitates the creation of differentiated spaces.

The project foresees a two-story building with a length of 170 meters and a width of 24. The upper floor will have eight boarding gates connected by walkways, while the lower floor will accommodate four gates for remote boarding. Passport controls will also be centralized there.

The director also explained that Aena will have to incorporate new, more technologically advanced baggage security control systems, but which require more space. This adaptation will require reorganizing different areas of the terminal.

The reform will also include new boarding walkways and a redistribution of the waiting room, with the aim of improving passenger flows. This reorganization will allow for the expansion of services such as restrooms, areas adapted for people with reduced mobility, as well as commercial and catering offerings.

Regarding inter-island flights, Aena wants to strengthen their operation with a specific area equipped with four boarding gates that facilitate access for both arrivals and departures. A transit corridor for connecting passengers is also planned, so that they do not have to leave the terminal and go through security checks again.

Another of the planned actions is the construction of a building on the west end of the airport to relocate offices affected by the works. In addition, the VIP lounge will change its location and increase in size. According to Torres, the current space is "practically full every day of the summer".

The airport manager has insisted that the project is still in a very early stage. The tender to draft it could extend throughout this year and the final drafting will require approximately 18 months. In parallel, the corresponding environmental assessment will have to be processed.

"We are talking about a project that would not begin until 2030", concluded Torres, who reiterated that the objective of the expansion is to adapt the airport to new operational and safety requirements, not to increase its tourist capacity.