Minister for Public Works announces 11.5% reduction in ENAIRE route tariffs between 2018 and 2020

The tariffs, which have remained frozen since 2012, will fall by 3% in 2018, by 4% in 2019 and by 5% in 2020. This measure will lead to an estimated saving of 184 million euros for airlines.

This decision has been possible thanks to the efforts made by ENAIRE in terms of efficiency, which will allow benefits to be passed on to airlines which, in turn, they can hopefully pass on to passengers.

In line with the reduction in airport charges under Airport Regulation Document

The reduction in ENAIRE air traffic route tariffs paid by airlines is in addition to the reduction in Aena airport charges approved by the Council of Ministers on 27 January within the framework of the first Airport Regulation Document (Spanish acronym: DORA) for the five-year period 2017-2021.

This document provides for an 11% accumulated reduction in airport charges for the period as a whole, at a rate of 2.2% per annum.

Excellent aeronautic infrastructure network

The minister highlighted that according to the Davos World Economic Forum, Spain is the country with the most competitive tourism industry in the world, thanks to its infrastructures. These infrastructures - railways, ports, highways and airports -result in 80% of inbound tourists to Spain arriving by plane.

The Minister for Public Works also stressed that ENAIRE is one of the air traffic managers that most contributes to the growth in air traffic in Europe.

Íñigo de la Serna claimed that the trend in air traffic is for it to continue to rise in coming years. ENAIRE has now enjoyed 41 straight months of growth in air traffic, with 1,867,734 flights in 2016, with the forecast for the figure of 1.9 million flights to be comfortably exceeded in 2017.

Carmen Librero, candidate for Director-General of EUROCONTROL

The minister also announced the presentation of Spain's candidature, in the person of Carmen Librero - the current Secretary-General for Transport of the Ministry of Public Works - to become the new Director-General of EUROCONTROL, the European organisation for air traffic security.

Íñigo de la Serna pointed out that the candidature of Carmen Librero is backed by her 30 years of experience in air traffic, more than five years in her role as the Secretary-General of Transport, her profession as an aeronautical engineer and her professional and personal attributes.

World air traffic event

The World Air Traffic Management Congress is the main annual event that brings together the international aeronautical community. This forum, being held in Spain for the fifth consecutive year at the Ifema installations, is used to debate the current situation of the sector and the main developments to be implemented in future air traffic management.

Held from 7 to 9 March, this event hosts 7,000 professionals from 125 different countries, 225 companies from the aeronautical sector and 79 air traffic control providers.

The congress is promoted by the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO), which brings together air traffic control providers from around the world and by ATCA, the US aviation industry institution.

Over the course of these three days, conferences are held together with an exhibition open to the public with free access where companies and industry personnel, through their exhibitors, showcase the latest technologies in air traffic control and the products they are marketing.

At this congress, the group of companies under the Ministry of Public Works are represented by ENAIRE, Ineco and Senasa through a joint exhibition showcasing their projects, agreements and most significant results.