Spain is embarking on a massive airport modernization project, driven in part by the increasing number of British tourists visiting the country.The state-owned airport operator, Aena, has announced plans to invest almost €13 billion over the next five years to expand and modernize its airports, with a significant focus on catering to the needs of British travelers [[1]].

The lion’s share of the investment will go to Madrid Barajas and Barcelona El Prat airports, receiving €4 billion and €3 billion respectively. Popular tourist destinations such as Málaga and alicante will also benefit from investments exceeding €1 billion each.However, Valencia and Seville are considered to be the “losers,” as their calls for airport improvements have not been addressed by Spain’s central government.

A key objective of this substantial investment is to improve the experience for British travelers, who, following Brexit, are no longer EU nationals and therefore subject to more stringent border controls. This ofen results in longer waiting times at passport control.

To address these challenges, Aena will enhance controls and expand separation zones between passengers from within and outside the EU/Schengen Zone at nine airports, in planning for the new EES border control requirements expected to launch in October. The airports slated for these improvements include Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Menorca, Ibiza, Malaga, Alicante, A Coruña, Girona, and Santander.

The investment is expected to fund the introduction of more e-gates, enabling British and other non-EU nationals to scan their passports more efficiently. Currently, Spain is one of the few EU countries offering limited e-gate access to UK citizens at select airports and times, often still requiring a passport stamp despite automated processing. Aena aims to expand this self-service passport scanning technology to numerous Spanish airports.

In Alicante, plans include demolishing an old terminal to construct a new satellite terminal specifically for non-Schengen passengers. According to Aena, this decision is “mainly due to the new border control requirements, combined with a predominantly British international traffic and the need to provide these passengers with a better quality area with a wider range of services.”

Airports like Málaga and Alicante may also soon be equipped with technology that eliminates the need for passengers to remove liquids and laptops from their luggage, further reducing waiting times.

In 2024, Spain welcomed 18.3 million British nationals, making them the largest group of foreign tourists, surpassing French (12.9 million) and German visitors (11.9 million). American tourists represent the second-largest non-EU group,with 4.2 million visitors, who will also benefit from aena’s investment.

These airport improvements are scheduled to take place between 2027 and 2031.

“this is mainly due to the new border control requirements, combined with a predominantly British international traffic and the need to provide these passengers with a better quality area”

Understanding the Airport Investment