The Federation of Small and Medium-sized Businesses of Ibiza and Formentera (PIMEEF) will not officially join the demonstration planned for September 20 against the proposed redevelopment and expansion of Ibiza Airport, but its president, Alfonso Rojo, has encouraged individual member businesses to attend if they wish.

The position follows a meeting between PIMEEF, representatives of the Associació de Joves d’Eivissa (AJE), which is organising the protest, and the Institut d’Estudis Eivissencs (IEE).

While the business organisation has decided not to participate as an institution, it says it shares many of the concerns raised about the airport project, particularly the potential consequences for tourism pressure, overcrowding, infrastructure and the environment.

Protest Planned for September 20

The demonstration has been called by AJE for Sunday, September 20, in opposition to Aena's planned redevelopment of Ibiza Airport.

The organisers argue that expanding or significantly increasing the airport's capacity could contribute to further tourism growth and intensify pressures that Ibiza is already struggling to manage.

Their concerns include housing availability, water resources, mobility and the potential impact on the nearby Ses Salines Natural Park.

AJE has been campaigning against what it describes as an excessive expansion project and has also launched a petition calling for opposition to the plans.

PIMEEF Stops Short of Officially Joining

PIMEEF has opted for a more cautious position.

Rather than formally endorsing the demonstration, the employers' organisation says its members can attend individually if they consider it appropriate.

That distinction means PIMEEF is not presenting itself as an organiser or official participant in the September 20 protest.

At the same time, the organisation says it shares most of the concerns discussed during its meeting with AJE and the IEE.

The position reflects the business sector's complicated relationship with the airport. Companies depend heavily on connectivity and tourism, but many also face the consequences of congestion, rising costs and pressure on local infrastructure during the busiest months.

Concerns Over More Tourism and Saturation

During the meeting, AJE and the IEE raised concerns that changes at the airport could lead to a significant increase in tourism.

They warned that Ibiza is already experiencing pressure from visitor numbers and argued that additional growth could worsen problems affecting residents.

Among the issues highlighted were access to housing, water shortages and pressure on the island's limited territory.

The organisations also raised concerns about the possible effect of the airport project on the Ses Salines Natural Park.

These positions represent the concerns of the organisations involved in the meeting and are not an independent finding that the proposed airport works would necessarily produce those consequences.

Aena Says the Project Is About Modernisation

PIMEEF also recalled the explanation given by Aena during a meeting in July with the Consell de Ibiza and representatives of different social and economic groups.

Aena has described the project primarily as a major redevelopment of the existing airport aimed at adapting the infrastructure to new European safety requirements and improving operational processes.

One of the main changes concerns the need to physically separate passengers travelling within the Schengen area from those arriving from outside it, together with the centralisation of passport controls.

The project also includes improvements to security screening and other airport facilities.

Aena has stressed that the planned works do not involve an expansion of the airport's occupied land.

Aena's Project Is Planned for From 2030

The planned redevelopment is not an immediate summer construction project.

Aena says the main remodelling programme is scheduled to be implemented from 2030.

The company presented the project as a long-term modernisation designed to improve safety, operational efficiency and passenger experience.

Among the planned interventions are changes to passenger flows, security controls, boarding areas and the organisation of the terminal.

The distinction between redevelopment and physical expansion has become one of the central points in the current political and public debate.

PIMEEF Wants Existing Problems Addressed First

Although PIMEEF acknowledges Aena's explanation, the employers' organisation says there are more immediate problems that should be resolved before major new projects are pursued.

During the July meeting, PIMEEF and most of the other participants called for improvements to airport access and parking.

They also raised concerns about the internal organisation and condition of the terminal.

The business federation says the airport can sometimes give the impression of being in a permanent state of construction while some everyday problems remain unresolved.

Mobility and access are particular concerns during periods of intense summer traffic, when congestion around the airport can affect both residents and visitors.

Mobility Remains a Major Issue

For businesses, the airport's impact is not limited to the number of passengers it handles.

Traffic arriving at and leaving the airport can create significant pressure on surrounding roads, particularly during peak hours and the height of the tourist season.

Taxi services, rental vehicles, private cars, coaches and other forms of transport all converge around the airport.

PIMEEF therefore wants access routes and parking to be properly organised as part of any future development strategy.

The organisation says these issues should be addressed alongside, or before, the implementation of larger infrastructure changes.

Water and Wastewater Also Raised

The wider airport debate has also included concerns about water and wastewater management.

PIMEEF has previously raised issues about the functioning of airport facilities and the impact of infrastructure shortcomings during the busiest months.

For AJE and the IEE, the wider concern is that additional tourism generated by increased connectivity could place even more pressure on already limited water resources and waste-management systems.

Again, these are concerns expressed by the organisations rather than established consequences of the proposed redevelopment.

Business Community Seeks a Balance

PIMEEF's position reflects the difficult balance facing Ibiza's business community.

The island's economy depends heavily on tourism and air connectivity, meaning companies have a strong interest in maintaining an efficient and modern airport.

At the same time, businesses also operate within the same infrastructure system as residents and are affected by congestion, shortages and seasonal overcrowding.

PIMEEF's refusal to formally join the demonstration therefore does not amount to an endorsement of unrestricted airport growth.

Instead, the organisation says it supports many of the concerns raised by the campaign while maintaining a separate institutional position.

Any Major Change Should Involve Local Institutions

Another point on which the organisations found common ground was the need for local involvement.

The meeting participants agreed that Ibiza's civil society should not accept any major airport reform or expansion that has not been adequately discussed with local institutions.

The aim is to ensure that decisions affecting the island's connectivity and long-term tourism model are not made without considering local infrastructure and environmental capacity.

For the organisations involved, this is also linked to the proposal for greater participation by Balearic and local authorities in airport management.

Airport Co-Management Law Welcomed

PIMEEF, AJE and the IEE all expressed support for the progress of the proposed law on airport co-management in the Balearic Islands.

The initiative seeks to give institutions such as the Sant Josep Town Hall, the Consell de Ibiza and the Balearic Government a more direct role in the governance of airports of general interest in the islands.

The Balearic Islands Parliament formally submitted the proposal to the Spanish Congress in May 2026.

The initiative remains within the national parliamentary process.

For its supporters, greater local participation would mean decisions about airport infrastructure could take better account of the islands' specific circumstances.

Ibiza's Airport Debate Is Becoming Broader

The September 20 demonstration is part of a wider debate about the future scale and role of Ibiza Airport.

Aena maintains that the project currently under discussion is designed to modernise existing infrastructure and meet European safety requirements rather than expand the airport's territorial footprint.

Campaigners, meanwhile, argue that even a major redevelopment of existing facilities could contribute to increased tourism pressure if it enables more efficient passenger flows or greater operational capacity.

The disagreement therefore centres not only on whether more land would be occupied, but also on the long-term implications of upgrading the airport.

PIMEEF to Defend Its Position With Aena

PIMEEF says it will take the concerns raised during the meeting into its future discussions with Aena.

The organisation wants the airport operator to address access, parking, terminal infrastructure and the wider quality of the passenger experience.

At the same time, it supports greater consultation with local institutions before the final project is approved and implemented.

The federation will therefore continue engaging directly with Aena rather than making the September 20 demonstration its official institutional platform.

The Demonstration Remains Open to Individual Businesses

The distinction is important for understanding PIMEEF's position.

The organisation itself will not join the September 20 protest.

However, its president is encouraging affiliated businesses and business owners who share the organisers' concerns to attend in a personal or individual capacity.

This allows PIMEEF to maintain an institutional position while recognising that individual members may hold stronger views on the airport plans.

A Debate About Ibiza's Future

The airport question is ultimately linked to a much larger discussion about what kind of tourism model Ibiza wants in the coming decades.

The island needs modern infrastructure, reliable connectivity and facilities capable of serving residents, workers and visitors.

At the same time, Ibiza is facing significant challenges involving housing, water, mobility and environmental pressure.

The disagreement is therefore not simply about an airport building project. It is about how the island should balance connectivity and economic activity with its physical limits.

PIMEEF Takes a Middle Position

PIMEEF's latest decision places the business federation somewhere between the airport's strongest supporters and those calling for the project to be stopped.

It will not officially participate in the September 20 demonstration, but it shares many of the concerns expressed by AJE and the IEE.

The organisation also accepts Aena's explanation that the current project is focused on modernising the existing airport and meeting European safety requirements without expanding the occupied land.

At the same time, PIMEEF wants existing problems around access, parking and the terminal resolved and insists that significant future changes should be coordinated with local institutions.

With the demonstration approaching on September 20 and the airport co-management proposal progressing through Congress, the debate over Ibiza Airport is likely to remain one of the island's most closely watched infrastructure and tourism issues.