Spain's Council of Ministers has approved the third Documento de Regulación Aeroportuaria, known as DORA III, covering the 2027-2031 period and establishing the regulatory and investment framework under which Aena will develop major projects across its airport network, including the planned remodelling of Ibiza Airport.

The decision was taken on Tuesday, September 15, marking the final government approval of the five-year framework after its earlier stages of technical and regulatory review.

Almost €13 Billion Across Aena's Airport Network

DORA III provides for nearly €13 billion of investment across Aena's Spanish airport network between 2027 and 2031.

Of that total, €9.991 billion is classified as regulated investment directly linked to airport activity. A further investment of close to €3 billion falls outside the regulated airport-charge framework, mainly covering commercial activity and related developments.

The Spanish Government says the programme will finance improvements to terminals, security, baggage systems, maintenance, accessibility, passenger flows, intermodality and sustainability.

More Than €1 Billion for the Balearic Islands

The Balearic Islands are set to receive more than €1 billion in investment under the new framework.

The programme covers Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca and Son Bonet, with the spending distributed across the airport infrastructure of the islands.

Ibiza accounts for one of the largest individual airport projects in the Balearics, with around €230 million planned for the remodelling and modernisation of its terminal infrastructure.

What Is Planned at Ibiza Airport

Aena's planned Ibiza project involves a substantial redesign of the terminal building and passenger-processing areas.

Among the measures are new infrastructure for passengers travelling outside the Schengen area, a centralised passport-control area and a new pier dedicated to non-Schengen traffic.

The project will also involve a comprehensive renovation of the boarding area, with the number of boarding gates increasing from the current 17 to 32. Aena says this change is necessary because Schengen and non-Schengen operations require dedicated gate arrangements under the new European border-control requirements.

Eight New Boarding Bridges

The Ibiza project also includes eight new boarding bridges.

Aena has presented the bridges and redesigned passenger flows as measures intended to improve the boarding process and increase the proportion of flights able to use direct access between the terminal and aircraft.

The project is therefore considerably broader than simply adding boarding gates.

Terminal Area to Increase by Around 29%

The planned works include a substantial increase in the airport terminal's overall surface.

Earlier Aena project information put the increase at around 29%, including operational areas such as offices and storage facilities. The changes are intended to provide the additional space required for new security, border-control and passenger-processing arrangements.

The works are being designed in phases, with some of the preparatory technical activity already under way.

Project Management Contract Already Tendered

The DORA III approval does not mean construction has immediately begun.

Aena has already advanced the process by tendering a €16.24 million contract for project-management services covering the Ibiza remodelling programme. The contract has a 60-month duration and covers the management of planning, project drafting, later construction tenders, execution and commissioning.

The project itself remains in the development and planning stages, with the detailed technical design being prepared before the main construction contracts are tendered.

Works Expected to Extend Beyond 2031

Although the DORA III investment period runs from 2027 to 2031, the complete Ibiza airport transformation is expected to extend beyond that regulatory period.

Aena has previously indicated that the overall execution timetable could continue into approximately 2034, with the major phases taking place progressively rather than as a single construction operation.

This means approval of DORA III establishes the financial and regulatory framework for the investment, rather than representing the completion or immediate start of the entire project.

Aena Says the Project Responds to New European Requirements

Aena has repeatedly said that a significant part of the Ibiza remodelling is driven by new European requirements concerning border controls.

The introduction of the Entry/Exit System and the need to separate Schengen and non-Schengen passenger flows require additional dedicated space and new operational arrangements.

The company says the project is intended to improve security, efficiency, passenger experience and punctuality while adapting the airport to those regulatory requirements.

The Question of Capacity Remains Controversial

The project has nevertheless become politically and socially controversial in Ibiza because of the planned increase in physical infrastructure.

Opponents argue that more boarding gates and an enlarged terminal could facilitate additional passenger growth. Aena has maintained that the project is primarily a remodelling and regulatory adaptation rather than a decision to increase the airport's authorised capacity.

The distinction is important: the project clearly adds infrastructure, but Aena's stated purpose is to reorganise and modernise the airport to meet operational and regulatory requirements.

DORA III Includes Traffic Growth Forecasts

The wider DORA III framework is also based on expected growth in passenger demand.

Aena's planning proposal considered an estimated 1.69 billion passengers across its Spanish airport network over the 2027-2031 period, rising from an estimated 329 million in 2027 to 347 million in 2031. The calculation formed part of the basis for determining infrastructure investment and airport charges.

Those are national planning forecasts and should not be interpreted as guaranteed passenger figures for Ibiza.

Ibiza Has Already Reached Record Summer Traffic

The DORA III decision comes after another exceptionally busy summer at Ibiza Airport.

In August 2026, the airport recorded 1,519,201 passenger movements, 2.5% more than in August 2025. Aircraft movements rose by 5.2% to 13,643 during the same month.

Between January and August, the airport handled 6,778,163 passengers, up 3% year on year.

These figures provide the current context in which the future remodelling is being planned.

Investment Will Be Paid Through the Airport System

The Spanish Government says DORA III investments will not be financed through the country's general state budget.

Instead, the framework is based on revenues generated by the airport system managed by Aena. The Government has described the resulting airport-charge impact as a near-freeze, with an average annual increase of around three cents per passenger.

That national average does not necessarily represent the specific financial impact for every individual airport.

Regulatory Approval Follows Months of Review

DORA III was not approved by the government without earlier scrutiny.

Aena's board approved its proposal in February 2026 before it passed through the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia. The framework subsequently went through the required institutional process before returning to the Ministry of Transport for final government approval.

The CNMC published its own assessment in June and recommended a different tariff path from the proposal initially submitted by Aena.

What Happens Next for Ibiza

With DORA III now approved, the Ibiza airport programme moves forward within its formally established 2027-2031 investment framework.

The next stages involve completing the technical project, carrying out the required environmental and administrative procedures, and subsequently tendering and executing the construction works.

The approval therefore represents an important regulatory milestone for Ibiza Airport, but not the final approval of the individual construction works.

Ibiza Airport Remodelling Moves Into Its Next Phase

The €230 million Ibiza programme will bring a major transformation to the terminal, including new non-Schengen infrastructure, a redesigned boarding area, additional gates and boarding bridges, expanded passenger-processing space and upgraded security systems.

At the same time, the project remains one of the most debated infrastructure developments on the island, with Aena emphasising European regulatory requirements and modernisation, while opponents continue to question its potential implications for future tourism pressure.

DORA III has now cleared the national regulatory stage. The next question is how and when the individual Ibiza airport works will progress from design and planning into construction.