Environmental group GEN-GOB, the Ibiza Socialist Federation and UGT Pitiüses have joined the growing list of organisations supporting Sunday's demonstration against the planned remodelling of Ibiza Airport.

The demonstration will take place on Sunday, September 20, beginning at 18:00 at s'Alamera on Vara de Rey in Ibiza Town.

The protest was originally called by the Associació de Joves d'Eivissa, together with Amics de la Terra and other organisations, under the slogan “No a l'ampliació de l'aeroport”, or “No to the airport expansion.”

GEN-GOB warns about future growth

GEN-GOB is calling for strong participation in the demonstration and says the airport project could significantly increase the infrastructure's capacity.

The environmental organisation argues that Ibiza's airport is already operating under substantial pressure and says further expansion could increase congestion, tourism pressure and demand on public services.

GEN-GOB also links the airport debate to concerns over road traffic, tourist accommodation, water resources and environmental pressures.

These are the organisation's assessments of the potential consequences of the project and should not be confused with Aena's stated purpose for the works.

Aena describes the project as a remodelling

Aena's official description differs from the language used by the organisations supporting the protest.

The airport operator describes the project as a major remodelling intended to adapt the terminal to European security requirements, improve operational processes and increase passenger comfort and accessibility.

Aena specifically states that the planned works will not increase the number of aircraft take-offs and landings possible per hour because the capacity of the airport's airfield will not be increased.

The project includes changes to boarding areas, passenger facilities, security controls, inter-island flights, offices and other parts of the terminal.

Why protesters describe it as an expansion

Despite Aena's description, opponents argue that the physical changes to the terminal could facilitate greater passenger throughput in the future.

GEN-GOB says the project could contribute to a substantial increase in the airport's overall capacity.

The organisation has also argued that infrastructure should instead be adapted to what it considers the island's actual needs and environmental limits.

Those claims are part of the political and environmental debate surrounding the project rather than a confirmed forecast by Aena that passenger numbers will double.

PSOE supports the demonstration

The Federació Socialista d'Eivissa, the Ibiza branch of the PSOE, has also backed Sunday's mobilisation.

The party says Ibiza needs a safer, more accessible and more efficient airport, but opposes changes that would increase operational capacity and consequently encourage higher passenger and air-traffic levels.

The PSOE has linked its position to a June agreement adopted by the Joint Commission on Insularity of Spain's Congress and Senate.

That agreement called on the Spanish Government to reject any Ibiza Airport reform that would increase airport capacity and instead focus future interventions on safety, accessibility, energy efficiency, working conditions, internal organisation and service quality.

The parliamentary agreement

The June agreement is significant because it provides an institutional reference for the position being expressed by the PSOE and other opponents of the project.

The Joint Commission on Insularity approved a motion calling for the Government to reject proposals that increase airport capacity and to review the relevant planning documents to ensure they do not provide for capacity increases capable of generating greater passenger flows during the high season.

The agreement also called for dialogue between Aena and local, island and regional institutions over the development of the project.

The agreement is an instruction from a parliamentary commission rather than a judicial ruling cancelling Aena's project.

UGT joins the mobilisation

UGT Pitiüses has also called on its members to participate.

The union says the airport debate is not only an environmental or tourism issue but also a labour and social question.

UGT argues that continued tourism and infrastructure growth can increase pressure on housing, mobility and public services, with consequences for people who live and work on the island.

The union says workers should have a role in decisions about Ibiza's future economic model.

UGT's position is separate from the airport workers' committee

An important distinction has emerged around UGT's participation.

The UGT Pitiüses organisation has officially joined Sunday's demonstration, but the Aena Airport Centre Committee had not adopted a collective position opposing the project.

The committee includes representatives from UGT, CCOO and USO.

Its president, David Torres, said the committee had previously focused on the potential staffing consequences of the project rather than rejecting the remodelling itself. He said the committee would now discuss whether it should participate in the demonstration.

Therefore, UGT's participation should not be described as a unanimous position of all Ibiza Airport employees or of the airport's joint workers' committee.

A project worth around €230 million

Aena's planned investment in the Ibiza Airport project is approximately €230 million.

The investment is intended to modernise the terminal, including changes required by European security regulations.

Aena says the project responds partly to current passenger congestion and operational problems and is intended to improve the experience for residents, visitors, airlines and workers.

The airport operator maintains that the project will not increase hourly aircraft-movement capacity.

A wider debate about Ibiza's growth

The demonstration reflects a broader discussion about Ibiza's tourism and development model.

The organisations supporting the protest are connecting the airport debate with housing shortages, road congestion, water resources, public services and environmental pressures.

The PSOE has similarly argued that airport infrastructure cannot be considered separately from territorial planning and tourism management.

At the same time, Aena maintains that the project is primarily about modernisation, safety, accessibility and operational efficiency rather than increasing the number of aircraft movements the airport can handle each hour.

Demonstration takes place Sunday

The demonstration will begin at 18:00 on Sunday, September 20, at s'Alamera on Vara de Rey.

The planned route will pass through Calle Aragón and Avenida España, with a stop outside the Consell de Ibiza, before continuing towards Portal Nou, where organisers plan to read a manifesto.

The protest is being supported by environmental, political, youth and trade-union organisations, although the organisations involved do not all use identical arguments about the airport project.

The dispute remains over what the project means for future capacity

The central disagreement is therefore not simply about whether Ibiza Airport needs investment.

Aena says the terminal needs substantial modernisation and states that the project will not increase hourly aircraft-movement capacity.

GEN-GOB, PSOE and UGT argue that the scale and design of the planned works must also be considered in relation to future passenger growth and the island's wider capacity to absorb tourism.

With Sunday's demonstration approaching, the debate remains focused on whether Ibiza should modernise its existing airport infrastructure without enabling additional growth in passenger traffic.