Jurídicos y Administrativos

✈ The Spanish Government has ruled out the construction of a second runway at Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport despite a passenger traffic increase of over two million in a single year. Senator Agustín Almodóbar had questioned the necessity of expansion. The government deemed the current facilities sufficient, with modern, secure, and competitively priced installations. Aena has planned an adjustment of the terminal and movement area, with a €19.8 million investment in January for the first phase of technical assistance and drafting. The second runway is included in the airport's Master Plan but will only be built when technically deemed necessary.

✈ A non-binary passenger filed a lawsuit against Ryanair in 2021 for not providing a gender-neutral option in their booking system. The incident occurred when the individual attempted to book a flight from Berlin to Gran Canaria. They are seeking over £4,000 (around €4,800) in compensation and demand a change in the airline's platform. Ryanair refused an out-of-court settlement, leading the non-binary person to take the case to the state court in Berlin.

🚨 European embassies warn citizens about public disorder in Turkey, notably in Istanbul, after the arrest of city mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key political rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Turkish lira fell nearly 6%, and the stock market plummeted about 9%, prompting state bank intervention. WhatsApp and X were blocked on Thursday. No spread to holiday areas, currently in low demand, reported.

💰 On March 21, 2025, it was highlighted that companies must annually manage a crucial process for employees—the submission of Modelo 145. This document reflects an employee's personal and family situation for accurate income tax withholding (IRPF) calculation. The Modelo 145 includes information such as marital status, children or dependents, disability, and residence in special regime regions. While not presented to the tax authorities (AEAT), the form ensures correct IRPF calculations by the employer. Submitting and correctly filling out the Modelo 145 is not only mandatory for all working individuals but also crucial for optimizing fiscal expenditure and avoiding errors in the net salary and tax declarations. Employers, or labor consultancies on their behalf, should manage this process, ideally using fiscal management software to automate and store data efficiently.

🔔 Over 400 hotels have joined a class action lawsuit organized by the Spanish Association of Hotel Directors (AEDH) against Booking for economic compensation over parity clauses, recently challenged by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in September 2023. The lawsuit follows a historic €413 million fine from the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC) imposed on Booking. The Spanish hotel sector could claim damages up to €3 billion, with the final amount depending on participation. The contentious clauses were in place from 2004 to June 2024. AEDH provides legal guidance to hoteliers considering joining the claim.

📍 Gabriel Escarrer, President of Exceltur, criticized regional government policies impacting the tourism sector during the inauguration of a report presentation on "Solytur." He highlighted concerns about the trend towards establishing ecotaxes and seeking limitations in coastal Spanish municipalities, which he believes directly affects competitiveness. Escarrer emphasized proactive management and addressed challenges such as population growth, housing shortages exacerbated by tourist flats, rising living costs, and inadequate visitor anticipation. He advocated for off-season promotion, combating illegal vacation rentals, eradicating excessive drinking tourism, pirate taxis, party boats, illegal parties, and unlicensed guides. Escarrer expressed disappointment with the central government for not utilizing Next Generation funds to make coastal destinations competitive for the next 20-25 years.

💸 Ryanair initiated criminal action in Spain against a passenger forcibly removed from a Lanzarote to Santiago de Compostela flight in late January. The man, claiming to be a UN diplomat with immunity, refused to show his boarding pass, causing a 40-minute delay and inconveniencing 137 passengers. He may face 3-12 months in prison or a 6-18 month fine. In early January, Ryanair sued another passenger for over €15,000 for disrupting an April 9 Dublin to Lanzarote flight.

🏖 The Tribunal Constitucional upheld a decree allowing Catalan municipalities to not renew tourist rental licenses in 2028. Barcelona's tourist apartment licenses require renewal in November 2028, and the current city council aims to deny renewals, affecting 10,000 legal tourist apartments. The Partido Popular challenged the regional rule but lost; it limits licenses to 10% of resident flats for five-year terms, renewable. This measure is among the most radical against tourist apartments, with only New York implementing similar prohibitions. France allows municipalities to limit rentals to a few weeks per year.

🛈 On the day the EU planned to cut compensation rights for travelers facing flight delays or cancellations, police arrested several individuals for allegedly bribing MEPs to influence their votes. Current EU regulations mandate compensation after 3-hour delays, potentially extending to 5, 9, or 12 hours based on flight distance. Fixed compensations of €300 for flights delayed over 3 hours are criticized for being unfair to those who paid less for tickets, suggesting refunds should be five times the ticket price. Amidst these changes favoring airlines, travel agencies and tour operators face protests over ambiguous responsibilities for travel service anomalies.

🏠 The Government of Canary Islands disputes CNMC's arguments against the Sustainable Management of Tourist Housing Law, defending resident quality of life and urban environment protection over market-focused recommendations. Tourism and Employment Councilor, Jéssica de León, emphasizes the policy's alignment with local well-being and sustainability, rejecting CNMC's suggestions on allowing vacation rentals in affordable housing, scarce housing areas, and converting properties in protected zones, upholding stringent accessibility standards and a 90% residency edificability limit for social housing functionality.