Jurídicos y Administrativos

✈ Aena launched a commercial offensive to cover the gap left by Ryanair's cut of over 800,000 seats in regional airports, a move announced by CEO Eddie Wilson on January 16. Aena engaged with Vueling, Volotea, Air Nostrum, and Binter to mitigate the impact. Ryanair will cease operations in Jerez and Valladolid, remove one aircraft from Santiago, and reduce traffic by 61% in Vigo, 28% in Santiago, 20% in Zaragoza, 11% in Asturias, and 5% in Santander. Ryanair blames Aena for not incentivizing airlines to use regional airports' unused capacity.

🏖 Kioto, Japan, targets a reduction in tourist numbers by imposing a steep tourist tax of up to 60 euros per night starting in March 2026. The tax varies depending on the hotel category, with lower-priced accommodations paying less. Despite aiming to curb tourism saturation, Japan saw 35 million tourists last year and paradoxically has a goal of 60 million visitors. Tourist tax rates: rooms renting for 124-310 euros will pay 6.20 euros, up to 620 euros will pay 24 euros, and over 620 euros will incur a 62 euro tax.

🚨 Spanish citizen kidnapped by the Islamic State of the Greater Sahara in southern Algeria, as confirmed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Initially believed to be a woman, the victim is confirmed to be a male. The kidnapping possibly occurred Thursday afternoon, with the ministry starting work on the case on Friday. The victim, part of a group that was later freed, was taken near the Mali border. Algeria had closed this region to tourism due to radicalism but reopened it two years ago after deeming it pacified. Prior incidents include an Austrian tourist's kidnapping and a Swiss citizen's murder.

✈ Aena accuses Ryanair of seeking to use Spanish airports for free, endangering the financial viability of Spain's airport system. The dispute involves Aena's investment in airports versus Ryanair's aircraft purchases. Aena asserts its support for over 150 airlines operating in Spain, citing record air traffic in 2023 and 2024. Aena commits to maintaining connectivity despite Ryanair's strategies, which are seen as short-term and incompatible with future demand.

🏠 In Mallorca, the 'okupation' problem has escalated at Sol y Mar aparthotel, with squatters claiming residence since November and demanding up to €300,000 from property owners for evacuation. Intervention by law enforcement is restricted after 48 hours of occupation, and court eviction orders can take an average of two years. Other Spanish locations, like the Four Seasons' project in Marbella and Valencia's former Hotel del Saler, face similar issues. In contrast, European countries like Italy and Germany have stricter laws, facilitating quicker evictions. Spain, however, extended a moratorium covering squatters, with only PNV proposing a law reform for faster trials within 15 days.

💰 Viajes El Corte Inglés proposes a reorganization plan, potentially moving up to 520 workers to the commercial network from central services, business travel, and MICE, while offering early retirement to 118 employees. The plan aims to reduce staff in oversized areas and strengthen vacation sector due to hiring difficulties. Negotiations with unions began, with the next meeting scheduled for January 21, and a 15-day deadline for agreement, extendable if agreed. This follows a February 2022 agreement for a maximum of 475 employee layoffs post-pandemic.

✈ Ryanair criticizes Aena for deceiving about fees, ignoring DGAC's 2021 resolution to freeze tariffs for five years. CNMC intervention keeps fees frozen in 2025, yet above DGAC's planned rates. Ryanair highlights Valladolid's passenger fees as higher than those at more efficient airports in Italy and Poland. Ryanair claims Aena's statement that they pay €2 per passenger at any Spanish regional airport is false. No new Ryanair bases in Spain since 2016 due to high fees; contrasts 8 million passengers in Málaga with zero in Granada. On December 13, 2024, Minister Puente acknowledged the failure of Aena's incentive schemes to increase regional traffic. Ryanair urges the Spanish government to break Aena's monopoly and let regional authorities manage airports to boost traffic, tourism, and employment.

✈ Lufthansa must continue offering fair prices to Condor for connections from German cities to Frankfurt, as ruled by the European Commission, to maintain competitiveness. Condor, once owned by Lufthansa and later Thomas Cook, struggled post-pandemic and post-Thomas Cook bankruptcy. A British investment fund acquired Condor, improved its fleet, and now successfully transports passengers from Germany to the U.S. and Caribbean via Frankfurt. Lufthansa, introducing its own airline Discovery and ending fair prices to Condor, faced legal challenges. However, the European Commission intervention mandates maintaining beneficial agreements for Condor temporarily while reviewing dominant airline agreements on transatlantic routes.

📌 In 2024, tourist housing (VUT) in 10 major Spanish cities including Málaga, Valencia, and Sevilla surpassed hotel offerings, growing by an average of 17.5% in capacity compared to just 2.9% for hotels. Valencia saw the highest rise in VUT with a 30.2% increase to 32,961 spots, while hotel growth in the city was 7%. Madrid, Alicante, Córdoba, Zaragoza, and Valladolid also experienced significant VUT growth. Palma de Mallorca and Ibiza had declines of 10.1% and 11%, respectively. Tourist homes contributed to 51% of the total overnight stays in 2024, raising concerns about local infrastructure capacity and public space saturation. Despite regulatory efforts, Exceltur calls for stronger rules to control the VUT market.

✈ Ryanair cuts over 800,000 seats at regional airports in Spain, including closures in Valladolid and Jerez, blaming Aena's high fees and ineffective incentive plans. Aena refutes, stating the average fee of €10.35 per passenger remains frozen from March 1 and is one of Europe's lowest. Despite Ryanair's 8.7% activity increase in Spanish airports in 2024, Aena warns their demands could breach Law 18/2014 and potentially be illegal or considered state aid by the EU. Regional airports offer incentives that can lower fees to around €2 per passenger.