Divers

📊 José Luis Ábalos, former Minister of Transport, held at least nine meetings with Air Europa officials during negotiations for a €475 million rescue. These occurred between June 10 and October 28, 2020, with key meetings in Madrid, Ibiza, Marbella, and the Ministry of Transport. Despite formal aid request on August 20, meetings and pressure tactics began earlier, notably attempting to expedite the rescue process. Allegations include a €500,000 transfer from Juan José Hidalgo to Koldo García on October 28.

✈️ El 2025, en el aeropuerto de Denver, la torre de control perdió comunicación con 20 aviones por 90 segundos debido a fallos en los sistemas principal y de reserva, requiriendo un sistema de emergencia. Los controladores solo podían observar las aeronaves en sus pantallas. Robert García, congresista de California, expresó preocupación por décadas de problemas no resueltos en aviación. Los republicanos critican a los demócratas por enfocarse en la integración de minorías, desatendiendo asuntos serios.

📈 En 2025, Cataluña reactivó el Consejo de la Mesa del Turismo después de más de 10 años inactivo. Este organismo consultivo está compuesto por 22 representantes de la administración turística y del sector empresarial, presidido por Cristina Lagé. Miquel Sàmper, consejero de Empresa y Trabajo, destaca su reactivación como fundamental para el sector turístico, que representa el 14% del PIB. Involucra a entidades como Confecat, Federatur y la Diputación de Barcelona.

🗺 Viajes El Corte Inglés expands its Tourmundial brand throughout America. From January 2025, it targets Colombia after entering Mexico and Chile, where it has 106 and 19 outlets, respectively. Colombia currently hosts 17 outlets. Other markets include Peru (7), Panama (5), Ecuador (3), USA (3), and Uruguay (2). The strategy seeks to grow progressively, leveraging local partnerships, aiming to become a leading tourist emitter in America.

🌐 Gloria Guevara (Mexico), Harry Theoharis (Greece), Shaikha Al Nowais (UAE), Muhammad Adam (Ghana), and Habib Ammar (Tunisia) are vying to lead UNWTO from January 1, 2026. Theoharis advocates for growth, transparency, and unity, Al Nowais focuses on governance reform, and Guevara emphasizes strategic planning and partnerships. Adam is supported by the African Union. 40+ countries are not currently UNWTO members, including the US and Canada. Spain is a key tourism hub but under-leveraged according to Guevara.

✈ Ryanair's financial year (April to April) saw a 9% increase in passenger numbers despite Boeing delivery delays. Unit prices fell 7%, impacting profits, but Ryanair plans to recover with fare increases in 2025. Revenue reached nearly €14 billion. CFO Neil Sorahan indicated strong demand, operations in 37 countries, and a robust summer forecast. Ryanair expects Boeing to meet delivery schedules, stabilizing route offerings.

✈️ Michael O'Leary, CEO of Ryanair, announced a growth revision for the fiscal year 2025/2026, limiting it to 3% due to Boeing's delays. Ryanair received only 5 B737-8200 Gamechangers so far in 2025, expecting 206 million passengers, up from 202.2 million last year. They aim to receive the remaining 29 planes before the fiscal year ends. Ryanair's strategy includes allocating limited capacity to regions reducing aviation taxes, with a target of 300 million passengers by 2034.

🚨 Barajas Airport faced another violent weekend, reports El Mundo, with vandalized bathrooms in Terminal 2 and a tourist attack attempt in the parking area. UGT union highlighted ongoing safety concerns for staff, citing ineffective surveillance. A serious incident involved Ana, an airport cleaner, being attacked by a homeless individual. A similar attack on May 9 involved Ecuadorian travelers robbed of €2,000 and tickets worth €9,000. Over 400 homeless people stay at the airport nightly, worsening work conditions.

🚩 Siete mil personas protestaron en Santa Cruz de Tenerife el 5 de mayo, con tres mil en Las Palmas y Arrecife. En total, 12,000 manifestantes en cinco islas se manifestaron pacíficamente contra la masificación turística. Sin incidentes, la protesta fue organizada por "Canarias tiene un límite". En contraste, el Daily Express reportó 130,000 protestantes "furiosos". La Federación Sindical Canaria en Tenerife exigió mejores ingresos para trabajadores y más impuestos para servicios públicos.

✈️ Air France and Lufthansa halted discussions with the Hidalgo family over Air Europa's valuation. Both groups reject the €1 billion price, citing the airline’s substantial debt. Air Europa owes €475 million in state aid due by November 2026 and an additional €210 million due in 2027. Concerns over potential irregularities in the state aid rescue add to the complications. While Air France and Lufthansa want a majority stake, the Hidalgos aim to retain 75%.