IATA Challenges AENA's 16% Airport Charge Increase, Cites EUR 1.32 Billion Excess Returns
SHERIDAN, WYOMING - April 12, 2026 - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has publicly rejected AENA's bid for a 16% airport charges increase in Spain, calling out AENA Chairman and CEO Maurici Lucena for claiming that airlines seeking lower charges were "compromising safety and security." IATA Director General Willie Walsh dismissed the claim as scaremongering with no factual basis, pointing instead to AENA's EUR 1.32 billion in excess returns over two regulatory periods and a 2024 net profit margin of 36.4%-against an average European airline net margin of 3.5%. The dispute puts airport regulation, consumer airfare affordability, and Spain's aviation competitiveness directly in the crosshairs of a high-stakes policy confrontation.