Spanish airports group Aena has brought forward its goal of serving 300 million passengers per year to 2025 – one year ahead of its previous target due to the “strong upturn in traffic”.
The company, which operates 47 airports in Spain, recorded traffic of 283 million passengers in Spain during 2023, which was 2.9 per cent above the mark achieved in 2019. Aena noted that its growth was “more pronounced at tourist airports”.
With airline capacity in Spain set to rise by another 7 per cent this summer, Aena is forecasting passenger numbers to increase to 294 million in 2024. It then expects to reach the 300 million milestone in 2025 – a goal which the company had originally expected to achieve in 2026.
Maurici Lucena, Aena’s chairman, said: “Surpassing the targets initially set is not only a consequence of a better economic situation, but also of a successful strategy.”
The company said this growth in traffic will be “balanced with the intense reduction in emissions”. The company is also bringing forward its pledge to operate on a net zero basis by 10 years from its original target date of 2040 to 2030.
“Aena's commitment to sustainability is non-negotiable and is a transversal factor in our strategic framework, as evidenced by the fact that every year we report to the shareholders' meeting on our Climate Action Plan,” added Lucena.
The operator’s sustainability initiatives include an electricity plan to ensure all energy used by its airports is produced by renewable sources.
Outside Spain, Aena also operates nearly 30 airports worldwide including London Luton, where it plans to further increase capacity, as well as airports in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Jamaica.