SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Feb. 3 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Santiago Sesé, the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, has insisted that the rise in air taxes announced by AENA should be directed towards enhancing airport infrastructure in the Canary Islands: “Given the impossibility of negotiating this increase, we strongly advocate for the allocation of these funds to the improvement of our facilities rather than those in other regions.
The Chamber of Commerce considers this reinvestment as addressing a historical deficiency in certain infrastructures, such as the Tenerife South Airport. “We cannot accept being a premier destination with third-rate airports, as is the case with Reina Sofía, which urgently requires significant economic investment,” noted the chamber president.
Sesé emphasized that this increase will not only impact the tourism sector but also the vital role of air transport in the Canary Islands as a factor for territorial cohesion: “Air connectivity is fundamental for us and, often, the sole mobility option. Therefore, despite AENA refusing to provide flexibility in the implementation timeline for this increase in the Canary Islands, we continue to believe that some form of exceptionality should apply to the Archipelago.”
The 4.09% increase, effective from March, following its approval by the Council of Ministers on Tuesday and subject to review by the National Markets and Competition Commission, will directly affect the ticket prices paid by travelers.
In this regard, Sesé highlighted the “threat” this poses to the Canarian economy: “Tourism is the economic powerhouse of this region, and this increase will diminish our competitiveness as a tourist destination. Moreover, it comes at a time of economic turbulence for the countries that traditionally send tourists, such as Germany.”
Additionally, he pointed out that this rate hike adds to the increase resulting from the incorporation of flights connecting the Archipelago with the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom into the CO2 emissions market since January 1.
The Chamber of Commerce has consistently opposed this increase, urging for the freezing of these rates until 2026, as stipulated in the Airport Regulation Document (Dora II) approved by the Council of Ministers in 2021. “We fail to comprehend how this agreement is overlooked without considering the structural dependence of our economy on the tourism sector,” stated Sesé.
In addition to these demands, the Chamber considers it “crucial” to have direct representation on the AENA board of directors: “This is fundamental for us, and we have been advocating for it to ensure that we are heard on crucial matters such as this.”
