That the study was going to ratify the need to address the construction of a second runway at the Alicante-Elche-Miguel Hernández airport as soon as possible was announced, it was a matter of knowing figures and dates. 2026 is the year, more than 20 million passengers per year that, at the current rate of growth, it is expected that the aerodrome could have to manage, which in 2023 has exceeded – with 15.7 million travelers – the amount that Aena expected for within two years.
These are the basic data of the report prepared by the Chambers of Commerce of the Valencian Community, which have calculated how much it will cost the province in economic terms each year of delay in the implementation of a second runway capable of assuming an extra passage of two million. of people that the current infrastructure would not be able to take on. Alicante would stop obtaining 800 million euros annually and more than 14,000 jobs that, especially in the Services sector, would be generated by the largely international tourism that it would have to give up.
After the presentation of the study that took place at the Alicantina Fair Institution, a short distance from the airport, the president of the Generalitat Valenciana insisted that the demand “is not a party position or a beret demand”, but rather is backed by data.
Along these lines, Mazón has requested the creation in Spain of an independent infrastructure authority that – in the style of Airef in fiscal matters – allows investment calendars to be established “based on objective data”, to avoid discrimination between territories.
The president recalled, for example, that the most profitable railway line, Madrid-Alicante, “was the last to have AVE”, or that Malaga has had a second runway and rail connection at its airport since 2012, when it reached 12 million annual travelers, while in Alicante there is not even a project after exceeding 15.7 million in 2023.
The Chambers report explains that “the growing evolution of passenger traffic in the last decade, even despite the pandemic, has clearly shown that all forecasts made by official reports – master plans and DORA 2022 – have been exceeded. -2026- based on current facilities.” And it concludes that the airport is close to saturation levels “since the passenger traffic figures planned for 2026 have been exceeded in 2023.”
Given the announcements that the Government will study the second track in the next investment period, Mazón considers that it is already too late and that it would be unjustifiably postponing the execution of the project. In his opinion, there is a mechanism at the Government’s disposal, “a modification of the current investment framework”, which in light of the data “is the only thing that is worth it.”
Tomorrow, Thursday, the Minister of Tourism, Nuria Montes, and of Infrastructure, Salomé Pradas, will meet with officials from Aena to present the study. Mazón has been “concerned” because some political forces that are part of the Government or are its parliamentary partners are opposed to the second runway in Alicante-Elche, and because “they are against tourism, they engage in demagoguery and are generating discourses of tourismphobia.” .
