The Balearic Government has reiterated that it will oppose airport investments that increase the capacity of the islands to receive more tourists, while supporting works aimed at improving safety, modernisation and passenger services.

Government spokesman and Vice-President Antoni Costa made the statement on Friday, September 18, following the approval of DORA III, Aena's airport regulation and investment programme for 2027-2031.

The position comes as controversy continues over the planned remodelling of Ibiza Airport and ahead of Sunday's demonstration in Ibiza Town opposing what organisers describe as an airport expansion.

Costa says modernisation is acceptable, expansion is not

Costa said the Balearic Government supports investment that improves airport safety and modernises existing infrastructure.

He drew a distinction, however, between modernisation and projects that increase airport capacity.

According to Costa, the regional government would oppose investments that increase the potential flow of tourists arriving in the Balearic Islands.

He also criticised the scale of planned investment in Palma and Ibiza airports and questioned why DORA III does not include construction of a new control tower at Menorca Airport.

Government says it told Aena not to link investment to more passengers

The Balearic Government has released a written statement defending its position.

The regional government says its Housing, Territory and Mobility Department formally told Aena on May 6 that investments included in DORA III should not be linked to increases in passenger numbers.

According to the government, the letter signed by councillor José Luis Mateo requested airport investment focused on improving infrastructure while avoiding an increase in passenger flows.

The Govern has described contrary interpretations of its position as false.

Ibiza Airport is at the centre of the dispute

The disagreement is particularly relevant to Ibiza because DORA III includes substantial investment at the island's airport.

Aena's planned Ibiza project is officially described as a major remodelling of the terminal, with the objective of improving safety, accessibility, operational efficiency and passenger experience.

Aena has also stated that the project will not increase the number of aircraft movements that the airport can handle per hour.

The regional government nevertheless argues that airport investment should not facilitate additional tourist flows.

DORA III includes passenger forecasts

The controversy has been intensified by the passenger forecasts included in the wider DORA III planning framework.

The programme projects passenger growth at the Balearic airports during the 2027-2031 regulatory period.

For Ibiza, the planning figures rise from approximately 9.17 million passengers in 2027 to approximately 9.72 million in 2031.

These are planning forecasts, not a legally established passenger ceiling or a guarantee that those numbers will be reached.

They also refer to passenger movements rather than unique individual tourists.

A dispute over what the Govern previously requested

There is now a significant political disagreement over the Balearic Government's role in preparing DORA III.

PSIB sources told Europa Press that the Govern, together with other regional governments, requested structural investments in July 2026 aimed at increasing capacity.

According to that account, the requested works included terminals, platforms, runways and airfield infrastructure, with the stated objective of accommodating demand growth, avoiding saturation and maintaining service quality.

The Govern has rejected that interpretation.

It points instead to its May 6 letter to Aena, saying the requested improvements were explicitly not linked to an increase in passengers and were intended to reduce the impact of airport infrastructure on the territory.

DORA III documentation is at the centre of the disagreement

The dispute is partly based on how the supporting documentation for DORA III describes the requests made by different administrations.

Cadena SER reported that the justification document for DORA III includes the Balearic Islands among the regions that requested “structural investments oriented towards capacity expansion” to accommodate demand growth and avoid saturation.

The Govern has disputed that interpretation and said the wording does not accurately represent the content of its formal request to Aena.

This makes it important to distinguish between what appears in the DORA III documentation and what the Govern says it actually requested.

Ibiza Government has already opposed increased airport capacity

The regional government's position is not entirely new.

In July, the Govern publicly asked Aena to ensure that the planned remodelling of Ibiza Airport did not result in an increase in the island's air capacity.

At the time, the regional government said investment should instead focus on passenger experience, accessibility and sustainability.

The latest comments therefore reinforce a position already publicly stated earlier in the year.

Sunday's demonstration

The latest controversy comes just two days before a demonstration against the Ibiza Airport project.

The mobilisation is scheduled for Sunday, September 20, beginning at 18:00 at s'Alamera on Vara de Rey in Ibiza Town.

Environmental organisations, political groups, trade unions and other organisations have backed the demonstration, although their individual arguments concerning the airport project are not identical.

The organisers are using the slogan “No a l'ampliació de l'aeroport”, or “No to the airport expansion.”

The airport operator's position differs

Aena's description of the Ibiza project is different from that of the organisations opposing it.

The airport operator calls it a remodelling rather than an expansion and says the works are intended to improve infrastructure, security and passenger services.

Aena has specifically stated that the project does not increase hourly aircraft-movement capacity.

This distinction is central to the current debate: opponents argue that the scale and future effect of the infrastructure should be considered in terms of passenger growth, while Aena presents the project primarily as a modernisation of existing facilities.

A wider debate about tourism limits

The dispute reflects a broader debate in the Balearic Islands over how much tourism the islands can accommodate.

The Balearic Government has increasingly promoted policies aimed at containing tourism pressure while maintaining the economic importance of the sector.

Costa's latest statement places airport infrastructure within that wider policy.

His position is that the islands can support investment to improve existing facilities, but not investment whose purpose or effect is to facilitate additional tourist flows.

What is confirmed and what remains disputed

The confirmed position of the Balearic Government is that it opposes airport investments that increase capacity for additional tourist flows.

It also confirms that it supports airport investment for safety, modernisation and improved services.

What remains disputed is how the Govern's earlier requests for DORA III investments should be interpreted.

The regional government says its written request specifically ruled out linking investment to passenger increases. PSIB and documentation cited by Cadena SER give a different account, referring to structural investments intended to accommodate demand growth.

Meanwhile, Aena maintains that the Ibiza remodelling does not increase hourly aircraft-movement capacity.

The disagreement is therefore not simply about whether Ibiza Airport should receive investment. It is about what those investments should enable the airport to do in the future and whether improving infrastructure can be separated from increasing passenger capacity.