Jurídicos y Administrativos

✈ Iberia's corporate director Juan Cierco highlighted at the Travel Innovation Summit the risks posed by the EU's new Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) regulations, which could disadvantage European airlines. Cierco urged Spain to lead SAF production to avoid tourism and aviation becoming a luxury for the elite. SAF costs 3-4 times more than conventional fuel. Without investment and political commitment, Spain's tourism, heavily reliant on air travel, faces threats.

📍 Ryanair is urging Óscar Puente, supportive of their company, to back their stance in a conflict with Aena, suggesting he can either continue supporting Aena's failed regional airports policy or demand a growth plan to attract airlines. Ryanair accuses Aena of acting like a monopolistic operator, failing to boost competitiveness of Spanish airports against other European regional airports. They warn of declining Spanish regional connectivity, potential tourism growth, and job creation if Aena doesn't act.

🔥 In Turkey, a fire at the 12-story Grand Kartal hotel in Kartalkaya ski resort, built entirely of wood and opened in 1998, resulted in at least 69 deaths and 68 injuries among the 238 occupants. Four people, including the owner, have been arrested in connection with the tragedy situated midway between Istanbul and Ankara. The fire started around 3:30 AM local time and took firefighters approximately ten hours to extinguish, with 90% of the hotel's 161 rooms occupied, many due to school winter holidays. The wooden construction and location hindered firefighting efforts. Around 300 individuals were in the hotel at the time, and authorities have imposed an information ban to prevent false news and protect victim's families.

🏨 Ricardo Sánchez, General Director of Cap Negret Hotel in Altea, addresses challenges like staff shortage, absenteeism, sustainability costs, unfair competition from tourist apartments, and meeting diverse customer needs. The hotel tries to attract local talent due to the high rent costs for non-local seasonal staff. Cap Negret offers nine rooms for interns and minimizes split shifts due to staffing difficulties. They witness 7-9 monthly absenteeism cases, often long-term psychological leaves. Sustainability efforts include waste reduction, energy efficiency with photovoltaic panels, and eliminating single-use plastics, valued by international customers. The hotel stays open all year, attracting professional sports teams during off-peak times, avoiding the significant hiring challenges faced by purely seasonal hotels. The hotel adapts to different customer profiles throughout the year, from international cycling tourists to Spanish vacationers and event attendees.

✈️ Maurici Lucena, Aena President, and Eddie Wilson, Ryanair CEO, clash at the "Hotusa Explora" forum on January 20 in Madrid. Ryanair cuts 800,000 seats at Spanish regional airports, posing a challenge to Spain's airport system and tourism. Lucena criticizes Ryanair's 'artificial turbulence' and accuses the airline of blackmail, noting Spanish airport tariffs have dropped 31% accounting for inflation. Wilson calls for dialogue, stating Ryanair's commitment to Spain but criticizes the lack of competitiveness at regional airports.

✈ 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.