Amics de la Terra has renewed its opposition to the planned redevelopment of Ibiza Airport, arguing that the island is already facing excessive tourism pressure and that expanding airport infrastructure risks intensifying problems including housing shortages, environmental pressure and resource consumption.

In an opinion article published by Noudiari on September 8, Pau Kokura of Amics de la Terra sets out the environmental group's reasons for opposing the project and calls on residents to join a demonstration against the airport plans on Sunday, September 20.

The organisation's position is part of a growing local debate over Aena's planned redevelopment of Ibiza Airport, which Aena describes as a modernisation project rather than an expansion of flight capacity.

Amics de la Terra Questions the Need for Further Airport Growth

Kokura begins his argument by looking back at the history of Ibiza Airport.

Commercial aviation at Es Codolar began in 1958, when Aviaco connected the former military airfield with Palma and Barcelona.

Since then, the airport has undergone successive expansions and modernisations and has developed into a major international gateway for the island.

Amics de la Terra argues that Ibiza already has extremely strong air connectivity and questions whether further expansion of the infrastructure is necessary.

The organisation's central question is who the infrastructure is ultimately designed to serve and where the appropriate balance should be between connectivity, tourism and the island's capacity.

The Organisation Points to Ibiza's Population and Passenger Numbers

Kokura's article argues that Ibiza has around 160,000 residents while receiving more than nine million air passengers annually.

The figure is presented as part of Amics de la Terra's argument that the current tourism and transport model is already placing excessive pressure on the island.

The article also notes that the nine million figure does not include passengers arriving by sea, underlining the organisation's view that the island's total visitor pressure is substantially higher than airport figures alone suggest.

Passenger traffic at Ibiza Airport has indeed continued to rise. Aena reported 3.77 million passengers during the first six months of 2026, an increase of 3.1% compared with the same period in 2025.

However, airport passenger numbers alone do not establish whether the island has exceeded a particular environmental or social carrying capacity. That conclusion remains part of the environmental group's argument.

Aena Says the Project Will Not Increase Airfield Capacity

One of the central disagreements concerns the meaning of the airport project itself.

Amics de la Terra describes the planned works as an expansion and says it is difficult to accept Aena's argument that the project will not result in more passengers.

Aena, however, has explicitly stated that the planned works will not increase the number of take-offs and landings possible per hour because the capacity of the airfield itself is not being increased.

The airport operator describes the project as a comprehensive modernisation designed to adapt the facility to new European security requirements, improve operational processes and increase service quality.

That distinction is important because the airport's physical infrastructure can be enlarged or reorganised without necessarily increasing the number of aircraft movements that the runway system can accommodate.

Why Activists Remain Sceptical

Amics de la Terra says previous experience makes it difficult for environmental organisations to accept the assurance that passenger numbers will not ultimately increase.

The group argues that improvements to airport facilities can make it easier to accommodate future demand even if the formal operational capacity of the airfield remains unchanged.

It also points to the planned creation of facilities for more international traffic, including infrastructure that could support long-haul routes.

Aena has confirmed that the project includes a dedicated area for non-Schengen flights and a centralised passport-control system, which are necessary for operating certain international routes.

The proposed modernisation has also been linked to the possibility of direct connectivity between Ibiza and the United States.

Ibiza Could Gain More Long-Haul Connectivity

One of the most prominent examples is the possibility of a direct Ibiza-New York service.

The new airport configuration would make it easier to handle non-Schengen operations, which is a requirement for long-haul international routes such as potential services between Ibiza and North America.

For the tourism industry and local authorities, improved international connectivity can be viewed as a positive development.

For Amics de la Terra, however, greater international connectivity raises a different question: whether Ibiza should be encouraging further demand when the island is already struggling with housing, water, traffic and environmental pressures.

Housing Is at the Heart of the Opposition

The environmental organisation connects airport growth to Ibiza's housing crisis.

Its argument is that greater visitor demand can increase pressure on accommodation and land, contributing to rising prices and making it more difficult for residents to remain on the island.

The group uses the terms housing emergency and gentrification to describe what it considers to be the consequences of Ibiza's current economic and tourism model.

This is a political and environmental interpretation rather than a finding made by Aena or an independent assessment of the proposed airport works.

Nevertheless, housing affordability has become one of the most significant political issues in Ibiza, with authorities across the island increasingly focused on the shortage and cost of residential accommodation.

Tourism Saturation Is Another Major Concern

Amics de la Terra argues that Ibiza has reached a point at which additional tourism pressure creates more problems than benefits.

The organisation points to congestion, overcrowding and pressure on infrastructure as evidence that the island's current tourism model has reached its limits.

The argument fits into a wider local political debate about how to manage tourism intensity.

The Consell de Ibiza and other institutions have also been discussing measures intended to manage tourist flows, traffic, water consumption and other pressures associated with peak-season demand.

However, there is no universal agreement among policymakers, businesses and residents about what the island's optimal tourism level should be.

Environmental Pressure Extends Beyond the Airport

The group's opposition goes beyond aviation itself.

Kokura lists several interconnected environmental pressures, including carbon emissions, climate change, water scarcity and energy consumption.

Amics de la Terra argues that airport infrastructure should be considered as part of the island's wider economic model rather than as an isolated transport project.

This means examining what additional demand air connectivity facilitates and how that demand affects roads, accommodation, water supplies, waste systems and natural areas.

The organisation believes these impacts need to be considered before further investment in airport infrastructure is approved.

Amics de la Terra Has Joined the Canviem el Rumb Campaign

The environmental group says its opposition is part of a longer-running movement against mass tourism.

Amics de la Terra is a member of the Canviem el Rumb platform, which has organised demonstrations and campaigns calling for changes to Ibiza's tourism model.

The organisation argues that younger residents are increasingly affected by the cost of housing and insecure employment while simultaneously facing the longer-term consequences of climate change and resource scarcity.

The group therefore sees the airport debate as part of a much larger question about what kind of future Ibiza can offer to younger generations.

Young Islanders at the Centre of the Campaign

Kokura highlights the role of the Associació de Joves d'Eivissa, or AJE, in the latest mobilisation.

The organisation argues that younger people have become particularly important in the campaign because they face the immediate consequences of Ibiza's housing problems while also confronting long-term environmental challenges.

According to Amics de la Terra, the younger generation is increasingly taking the lead in demanding a different development model.

The group says established environmental organisations should support that mobilisation rather than speaking on behalf of younger residents.

Demonstration Planned for September 20

Amics de la Terra is calling on residents to participate in a demonstration against the airport project on Sunday, September 20.

The demonstration is scheduled to begin at 6:00pm at s'Alamera, also known as Vara de Rey, in Ibiza Town.

The protest is being organised by the Associació de Joves d'Eivissa with the backing of environmental, social and neighbourhood organisations.

The planned route will pass through central Ibiza before reaching the Consell de Ibiza building, where organisers plan to read a manifesto, before returning to s'Alamera.

Eight Organisations Initially Supported the Protest

The protest was publicly presented with the support of eight organisations, including AJE, Institut d'Estudis Eivissencs, Amics de la Terra, Salvem sa Badia, GEN-GOB and neighbourhood associations representing areas close to the airport.

The participating neighbourhood associations include Can Palleu, Can Frígoles, sa Caleta and es Rafal Trobat.

The presence of neighbourhood groups from areas surrounding the airport reflects concerns about the potential local impact of the proposed works, particularly where infrastructure changes could affect roads, land or nearby residents.

Organisers have indicated that additional voices may join the protest before September 20.

Airport Plans Have Already Generated Political Debate

The redevelopment project has been the subject of controversy since details emerged earlier in 2026.

Aena has emphasised that the project is intended to modernise the airport rather than increase its operational capacity.

At the same time, documents associated with the future terminal design include changes to the building, new boarding areas and other physical modifications.

Earlier reporting identified proposals that would extend parts of the airport towards the Es Codolar side, including changes affecting the area around the Camí des Codols and the Torrent de sa Font.

The resulting debate has involved environmental groups, architects, political parties, local authorities and residents.

The Consell and Aena Have Tried to Reduce the Tension

In July, Aena met with the Consell de Ibiza and representatives of local institutions and social organisations to explain the project.

The meeting was intended to clarify the scope of the planned works.

Aena reiterated that the redevelopment would not increase the number of aircraft movements that the airport can handle per hour because runway capacity would remain unchanged.

The meeting helped reduce some of the tension between Aena and the island government, although opposition from environmental organisations has continued.

Aena's Project Is Scheduled for the Next Decade

The airport modernisation is not an immediate construction project.

Aena says implementation of the planned redevelopment is expected to begin from 2030, within the framework of the DORA III airport-regulation period.

Aena has already put preparatory project-management services out to tender, with a contract valued at more than €16.2 million and a five-year execution period covering project development, tendering, construction and commissioning activities.

That means the debate taking place now concerns the direction of a major long-term infrastructure project rather than construction beginning in the immediate future.

Two Very Different Visions for Ibiza's Future

The airport debate ultimately reflects two contrasting visions.

Aena's position is that Ibiza needs a modern airport capable of meeting current security, operational and passenger-service requirements while maintaining existing airfield capacity.

Amics de la Terra argues that Ibiza's priority should instead be limiting pressure on the island and ensuring that infrastructure serves residents rather than facilitating further tourism growth.

Both sides accept that Ibiza requires reliable air connectivity.

The disagreement is over where the limit should be placed and whether modernising the airport can realistically remain separate from the question of future tourism growth.

What Comes Next

The immediate next step for the opposition campaign is the September 20 demonstration in Ibiza Town.

For Aena, the longer process of designing and preparing the airport redevelopment will continue, with implementation planned from 2030.

The debate is therefore likely to continue for years, particularly as more detailed project information becomes available and the impact on surrounding areas is clarified.

The eventual outcome will depend on decisions made by Aena and the State, as well as the wider political and institutional process surrounding airport infrastructure in the Balearic Islands.

A Debate That Goes Beyond the Airport

Pau Kokura's article makes clear that Amics de la Terra sees the airport as a symbol of a much larger debate.

The question is not simply whether Ibiza needs a modern terminal.

It is about the kind of tourism the island wants, how many visitors its infrastructure can support, how residents can afford to remain there and how the natural environment can be protected.

With the September 20 demonstration approaching, the airport has once again become one of the central battlegrounds in Ibiza's debate over its future.

For Amics de la Terra, the answer is clear: modernisation should not become a mechanism for continued growth.

Aena, meanwhile, maintains that the planned works are aimed at modernisation and will not increase the airport's airfield capacity.

That fundamental disagreement is likely to remain at the centre of the discussion as the project moves forward.