Juan Mestre

✈ Luis Gallego, an aeronautical engineer, became president of IAG and turned around Iberia from losing €1 million a day to profitability without bailouts or intermediaries by 2013. Pepe Hidalgo, with no higher education, acquired Air Europa but faced controversy, including a Supreme Court ruling for Air Europa to repay €25 million to the state for resident certificate fraud from January 2009 to September 2010. During the pandemic, Air Europa, losing €3 million daily, controversially obtained a €475 million government bailout facilitated by Hidalgo's political connections.

✈ La Caixa contributed €15,000 annually to Begoña Gómez's academic project, while Air Europa, via Wakalua, sponsored with €40,000 per year. In 2020, Gómez approached La Caixa, which accepted due to alignment with its social goals. Wakalua's deal included €25,000 yearly for awards and €15,000 for IE Africa Center-related flights. Additionally, to access Sánchez's wife, Air Europa hired intermediary Víctor de Aldama with a €10,000 salary. Communications and agreements occurred in 2020, with earlier discussions from 2018. The Mixed Monitoring Commission met on October 28 to address controversies surrounding the project.

🛩 Ex-vice president Nadia Calviño, now President of the European Investment Bank, distanced herself from Air Europa's rescue operation when she learned the airline's owners distributed €35 million in dividends before seeking a €475 million public bailout. Calviño warned Ábalos's advisor of "a very relevant problem" regarding the dividends, yet she didn't halt the rescue. The operation, involving Sánchez, Ábalos, and others, was approved rapidly despite her reservations. Chats involving Calviño may cause issues if judicial investigations proceed.

🏕 Key Facts: A tent accommodation in an Ibiza shantytown was listed on Airbnb for €45 per night; an additional commission fee was applicable. Airbnb removed the listing after the incident. The European Parliament passed a regulation in February, giving platforms and administrations two years to comply, meaning illegal listings can be posted until February 2026. In Mallorca, over 50% of 43,426 listed homes on platforms like Airbnb and Booking in September were potentially illegal, with only 10,710 having official permits. Summary: In Ibiza, Airbnb listed a shantytown tent for €45/night, highlighting illegal accommodation issues. With new EU regulations taking effect by February 2026, over 50% of the 43,426 homes listed in Mallorca show signs of illegality, against 10,710 legally permitted ones.

💰 The Spanish Supreme Court seeks to clarify former minister José Luis Ábalos's involvement in the Air Europa public funds rescue, as reported by El Confidencial. Judge Andrés Martínez Arrieta's order suggests further investigation into Ábalos's ties with the Hidalgo family's airline. A key meeting on July 16, 2020, involving the Spanish President, Vice-President Nadia Calviño, Ábalos, and a secret meeting between President Sánchez's wife, Begoña Gómez, and Javier Hidalgo, is of special interest to the investigation.

💬 El Senado convocó a Javier Hidalgo, exCEO de Globalia, para aclarar su posible conexión con el 'caso Koldo' y la implicación de Air Europa en una trama corrupta. Hidalgo, que residía en Botsuana, está inubicable desde el 10 de octubre. Se programó su comparecencia para el 22 de este mes tras no poder entregarle una citación para el 7 de noviembre. PP solicita ayuda al gobierno para localizarlo, incluyendo el uso de embajadas si ha salido de España. La comparecencia se justifica por los lazos de Hidalgo con Begoña Gómez, esposa del presidente Pedro Sánchez, durante el rescate de Air Europa en la pandemia.