Residents living next to Ibiza Airport are raising the alarm over Aena's plans to remodel and expand the airport, warning that the island is already under intense pressure from tourism, infrastructure demands and limited natural resources.

Among those voicing concern are Carmen Puerta, 71, and Francisco Galera, 75, two residents who arrived in Ibiza from Granada when they were young and have spent much of their lives on the island.

The couple now live in Can Palleu, a small residential area located immediately next to the airport's restricted security zone. Speaking to Noudiari, they expressed fears about what further airport development could mean for the area and for Ibiza as a whole.

Their warning was stark: "If we do nothing, Ibiza will be a shit island."

The comment reflects a wider concern that the airport project could increase pressure on an island whose residents and institutions are already debating tourism limits, water availability, traffic, waste management and environmental capacity.

Residents of Can Palleu live beside the airport

Can Palleu is a small residential area close to Ibiza Airport in the municipality of Sant Josep de sa Talaia.

The neighbourhood is made up of several dozen homes and sits directly beside the airport's restricted security area.

For residents such as Puerta and Galera, the airport is not an abstract infrastructure project. It is part of their immediate surroundings and has an impact on everyday life through aircraft movements, airport activity, traffic, lighting and other infrastructure.

The couple have lived on Ibiza since their youth after arriving from Granada, making their concerns particularly focused on how the island has changed during the decades they have spent there.

Their comments come as the debate over the airport's future has intensified during 2026.

Aena plans a major airport transformation

Aena says the project currently being developed for Ibiza Airport is primarily intended to modernise the terminal and adapt it to changing European safety and security requirements.

The airport operator has repeatedly insisted that the planned works are not designed to increase the airport's operational capacity or create additional flight capacity.

Aena's director of Ibiza Airport, Marta Torres, said in June that the project is intended to improve the passenger experience and adapt the terminal to new European regulations.

The planned works include changes to security controls, separation of Schengen and non-Schengen passenger flows, a centralised passport-control area and improvements for inter-island flights.

Aena also plans to create additional boarding facilities and modify parts of the existing terminal.

However, the physical scale of the proposed works has become one of the main sources of controversy on the island.

Why residents describe it as an expansion

Aena has described the project as a remodelling rather than an increase in airport capacity.

But technical documents associated with the project have led local organisations, political representatives and residents to describe it as an expansion.

Previous reporting based on Aena's technical documentation identified plans affecting several parts of the airport complex.

Among the elements described are a new boarding pier with four additional fingers, changes to the existing terminal building and an extension towards the area around Camí des Codols.

There are also plans for additional interior space, a second floor for offices and a large VIP area, as well as further commercial space.

Aena's position remains that these physical changes do not amount to an increase in operational capacity.

That distinction is at the centre of the current debate.

The planned works could reach the Camí des Codols area

One of the most controversial elements concerns the southwestern side of the airport.

Technical documentation has shown an extension of the airport's built area towards es Codolar.

According to previous analysis of the Aena documentation, this would involve moving the southwestern facade of the airport by around 60 metres.

The proposed area includes land between the airport and the residential areas further south and could affect the existing Camí des Codols and the Torrent de sa Font.

The proximity of this area to the Parc Natural de ses Salines has made the project particularly sensitive from an environmental perspective.

The Camí des Codols and the torrent eventually lead towards es Codolar, which is part of the protected natural area.

The airport debate comes amid an environmental controversy

The expansion debate has intensified at the same time as a separate controversy over water and wastewater around Ibiza Airport.

During August, Ibiza authorities opened an investigation into a suspected discharge into the Torrent de sa Font, the watercourse that flows towards the area of es Codolar.

The Balearic Government confirmed that preliminary proceedings had been opened and that the environmental authorities had involved the Guardia Civil's environmental protection unit, SEPRONA, in inspections and sampling.

The investigation followed complaints from environmental and civic organisations that alleged wastewater from the airport's treatment plant had entered the torrent.

Aena has disputed aspects of those allegations and has stated that the airport's wastewater treatment system treats and reuses water generated by the airport. The company has also suggested that any water appearing in the torrent could have other possible origins.

The investigation remains ongoing.

As of September 4, the Balearic Government confirmed that precautionary measures were still in place and that Aena was prohibited from discharging water into the torrent while the investigation continued. Aena had submitted its own analytical results for consideration as part of the proceedings.

Residents say the airport is already putting pressure on the area

For the residents of Can Palleu and nearby areas, the concerns are broader than the proposed terminal works themselves.

In recent months, residents have complained about wastewater-related incidents around the airport and about other impacts associated with the infrastructure.

They have also raised concerns about the airport's lighting, with residents saying that the parking building creates significant light pollution in nearby homes.

The complaints form part of a broader argument that Ibiza's infrastructure must be assessed according to the island's existing environmental and social limits.

Residents say adding new infrastructure without resolving existing problems risks making those problems more difficult to manage.

Aena says it is not increasing operational capacity

The airport operator has repeatedly sought to distinguish the physical expansion of infrastructure from an increase in the number of passengers or aircraft the airport can handle.

In June, airport director Marta Torres said the project was not intended to increase operational capacity.

The emphasis from Aena has been on modernisation, regulatory compliance, better passenger flows and improved quality of service.

The company says the airport needs to adapt to new European security rules and improve the existing passenger experience.

Aena also says that the works are being developed as part of the wider DORA III airport regulatory framework for 2027-2031.

The project is expected to begin from 2030

Aena's current timetable places the implementation of the project in the next decade.

When Aena met with the Consell d'Eivissa and representatives of the island's municipalities, tourism sector and social organisations in July, the company said execution of the planned airport remodelling was expected to begin from 2030.

This means the project is still at an early stage.

The technical design, planning procedures and required institutional processes have not yet reached the point of construction.

However, the debate has already become politically significant because the documents setting out the project's intended direction are being discussed well before the works begin.

Ibiza's institutions have pushed back against increased capacity

The concern is not limited to residents.

The Consell de Ibiza has said that it opposes what it considers an excessive expansion of the airport.

President Vicent Marí previously stated that the island institution was against an "excessive" expansion.

The Consell has argued that any airport investment should focus on improving existing facilities and the passenger experience rather than encouraging additional growth in the number of visitors arriving during the peak season.

Following meetings with Aena in July, the Consell and Balearic Government also stressed that improvements to the airport should not result in greater operational capacity or increased numbers of travellers during the busiest part of the year.

The Balearic Government has also questioned the plans

The Balearic Government has expressed similar concerns.

In May, government sources told Noudiari that they opposed increasing airport capacity in Ibiza and argued that the project conflicted with policies aimed at containing tourism pressure.

The government said it was concerned about the possibility of an expanded airport at the same time as the Balearics were pursuing measures intended to limit tourism-related pressure.

At the same time, Aena has maintained that the project is not intended to increase operational capacity.

The resulting disagreement is therefore not simply about whether Ibiza needs a modern airport. It is about what infrastructure improvements should mean for future tourism and passenger demand.

A national political debate is also developing

The controversy has reached Spain's national political institutions.

In June 2026, the Congress of Deputies' Joint Commission on Insularity approved a motion concerning Ibiza Airport.

The agreement called on the Spanish Government to reject any reform that would increase airport capacity and to review the relevant planning documents to ensure they do not contain measures that would raise capacity.

It also called for the suspension of administrative, technical or contractual procedures connected with the project while the relevant planning instruments were reviewed and their compatibility with Ibiza's environmental, social and territorial carrying capacity was assessed.

The parliamentary action adds another layer to an increasingly complex dispute involving Aena, the Spanish Government, the Balearic Government, the Consell, municipalities and local organisations.

Residents' concerns go beyond airport traffic

For Puerta and Galera, the issue is not simply how many aircraft arrive at Ibiza Airport.

Their concern is about the cumulative effect of continued development on an island with limited space and natural resources.

Residents have increasingly connected the airport debate with questions around water, sewage, traffic, housing, tourism and environmental protection.

This argument has also been made by professional organisations.

The Ibiza and Formentera branch of the Balearic College of Architects publicly rejected the airport expansion in July, arguing that the island's physical limits are already under pressure. The organisation specifically referred to available land, water resources and the remaining landscape as constraints that must be taken seriously.

A growing local movement against the project

Opposition to the airport plans has also moved from statements to organised campaigning.

A petition opposing Aena's project had collected more than 1,000 signatures by early August, according to Noudiari.

The petition was launched by the Ca'n Frigoles residents' association and added to growing opposition from other neighbourhood groups and organisations.

In September, the Associació de Joves d'Eivissa, together with environmental, social and neighbourhood organisations, announced a demonstration against the airport expansion for Sunday, September 20.

The planned march will start at s'Alamera, near Vara de Rey, before passing through central Ibiza and stopping outside the Consell building for the reading of a manifesto.

The organisations involved include Amics de la Terra, Salvem sa Badia, GEN-GOB and neighbourhood associations from Can Palleu, Can Frígoles, sa Caleta and es Rafal Trobat.

Neighbourhoods around the airport are directly involved

The inclusion of Can Palleu and Can Frígoles in the September demonstration is significant.

These are not distant political groups campaigning against an abstract infrastructure proposal. They are neighbourhoods directly surrounding the airport.

Residents from these areas have already been raising concerns about wastewater, odours, lighting and the effect of airport activity on their homes.

The airport project has therefore become part of a much wider discussion about how development should be managed in the areas closest to the infrastructure.

The wastewater dispute adds urgency

The airport expansion debate is particularly sensitive because of the unresolved investigation into the Torrent de sa Font.

The torrent is close to the area where Aena's proposed expansion would extend infrastructure towards es Codolar.

The Balearic Government's investigation into alleged discharges remains open, and Aena remains subject to precautionary restrictions concerning discharge into the torrent.

Environmental groups and residents have argued that the wastewater issue demonstrates the need to address existing infrastructure before creating additional airport facilities.

Aena's position differs, and the company has said that the water involved is treated and regenerated and has questioned whether its facilities are the only possible source of the problem.

The matter remains under official investigation, so neither the allegations against Aena nor any alternative explanation should be presented as finally established.

The central question: modernisation or growth?

The Ibiza airport debate increasingly revolves around a simple but difficult question.

Can the island modernise its airport without encouraging further growth in visitor numbers?

Aena's answer is that it can.

The company says the project is about adapting existing facilities to safety regulations, improving passenger flows and modernising the terminal without increasing operational capacity.

Opponents remain unconvinced.

They point to the physical scale of the proposed works, including new boarding infrastructure and extensions, and argue that increasing airport infrastructure risks creating the conditions for future growth even if the initial project is formally described as a modernisation.

That disagreement is likely to remain at the centre of the debate as the project progresses.

Ibiza is already debating tourism limits

The airport controversy arrives at a time when Ibiza is actively debating how much tourism the island can accommodate.

Issues such as vehicle restrictions, illegal tourist accommodation, water consumption, waste management and pressure on public services have all become prominent political subjects.

The airport is therefore not being considered in isolation.

For residents who oppose the project, airport development is another part of a larger question about whether Ibiza should continue increasing infrastructure to accommodate demand or instead focus on managing that demand within the island's environmental and social limits.

A warning from residents who have watched Ibiza change

Carmen Puerta and Francisco Galera represent a generation of residents who have lived through enormous changes on Ibiza.

They arrived from Granada while young and have spent decades watching the island develop from a very different place into one of Europe's most internationally recognised tourism destinations.

Their concerns are therefore rooted not only in the proposed airport works but in the cumulative transformation of the island.

Their stark warning about the future reflects a fear that continued development without stronger limits could eventually damage the qualities that have made Ibiza attractive in the first place.

The debate is far from over

Aena's project is still moving through the planning and design process, with construction not expected to begin until around 2030.

That leaves several years for further discussion, political intervention, technical assessment and public opposition.

The Spanish Parliament has already called for capacity-related questions to be reviewed. The Balearic Government and the Consell have expressed opposition to increased airport capacity, while Aena maintains that the project is a modernisation rather than a capacity expansion.

Meanwhile, residents and environmental organisations are organising demonstrations and continuing to question the project's potential environmental and social consequences.

The September 20 demonstration in Ibiza will provide another visible indication of the level of public opposition.

What is confirmed about the Ibiza airport project?

Aena is developing a new functional design for Ibiza Airport.

The project includes changes to security and passenger-processing areas.

Aena says the project is intended to comply with new European regulations and improve the passenger experience.

The project includes a new boarding pier and other physical changes to the terminal.

Technical documentation has identified expansion towards the es Codolar side of the airport.

The works could affect the area around Camí des Codols and the Torrent de sa Font.

Aena says the project will not increase operational airport capacity.

The Consell and Balearic Government have expressed opposition to increasing airport capacity.

The expected execution of the project is from around 2030.

A parliamentary commission in Madrid has called for planning documents to be reviewed to ensure they do not increase airport capacity.

Residents and environmental groups have organised opposition and a demonstration is scheduled for September 20, 2026.

Ibiza's airport future remains a major island question

The residents of Can Palleu are now living beside one of the island's most important political debates.

Aena says Ibiza needs a modernised airport capable of meeting new European requirements and providing a better experience for passengers, while maintaining the current level of operational capacity.

Residents, environmental organisations and several public institutions fear that the scale of the proposed works could facilitate another stage of growth on an island that is already under considerable pressure.

The dispute is not likely to be resolved quickly.

The airport project remains years away from construction, and important technical and planning decisions are still ahead.

But the question being raised by residents such as Carmen Puerta and Francisco Galera is already clear: how much more development can Ibiza absorb before the infrastructure intended to serve the island begins to change the island itself?

Key Facts

Airport: Ibiza Airport, es Codolar

Location: Sant Josep de sa Talaia

Residents quoted: Carmen Puerta, 71, and Francisco Galera, 75

Neighbourhood: Can Palleu

Airport operator: Aena

Project: New functional design and remodelling of Ibiza Airport

Aena's position: The project is intended to modernise the airport without increasing operational capacity

Expected execution: From around 2030

Contested areas: Camí des Codols, Torrent de sa Font and the area towards es Codolar

Environmental investigation: Ongoing investigation into suspected discharges affecting the Torrent de sa Font

Political opposition: Consell d'Eivissa and Balearic Government have opposed increased airport capacity

Public protest: Demonstration scheduled in Ibiza for September 20, 2026