canary islands denied airport co management

Canary Islands Denied Joint Airport Management by Spanish Ministry

Ministry Rejects Canary Islands’ Co-management Ambitions

The Canary Islands will not have joint management of its airports. That is the clear message from the Ministry of Transport, led by Óscar Puente, to the regional government of Fernando Clavijo, aimed at cooling expectations ahead of a bilateral meeting scheduled for 10 April. This meeting was announced on Tuesday by the regional government’s vice-minister and spokesperson, Alfonso Cabello.

Collaboration Yes, Co-management No

Sources within the Ministry consulted by this newspaper confirm that they are “open to collaboration between administrations in areas such as airport planning, connectivity and service quality, environmental policies, and other public policies with an airport impact, while Aena retains its capacity to act as the airport manager.” In summary, the Ministry’s position is: “Collaboration, yes; co-management, no, because that is what the law allows.”

Statute of Autonomy Argument Countered

Despite the Canary Islands government wielding Article 161 of its Statute of Autonomy to demand that the Autonomous Community manage the Archipelago’s airports alongside Aena, and citing the agreement signed between the Transport Ministry and the Basque Country, Puente’s Ministry insists that with the Basque Country “a real airport co-management has not been agreed, but rather an instrument for institutional coordination within the current legal framework.”

Proposed Framework for Coordination

The Ministry sources stress that with the Canary Islands, “an instrument for collaboration, coordination, and participation in airport matters could be established to favour its proper functioning and development in the territory.” However, this must be within existing legal and competency margins and aim to contribute to “inter-institutional involvement and greater competitiveness of the airport system in the Autonomous Community’s territory, with respect for the competencies of each institution.”

Clarifying the Basque Agreement

Although Cabello insisted after the Governing Council held on Tuesday that the agreement with the Basque Country was one of co-management, the Ministry of Puente emphasises that “the document agreed with the Basque Country does not imply an alteration of Aena’s network of airports of general interest or special treatment for the airports of general interest” located in that territory. It will, they say, “allow for improved synergies between the airports of general interest in the Basque Country and their complementarity with the rest of the transport and logistics infrastructure.”

A Clear Message for the Canaries

The message sent to the Canary Islands Government is unequivocal: “Progress can be made along the same lines in other territories, but not on other terms.”

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