The planned modernisation of Ibiza Airport is moving ahead as a major infrastructure project focused on updating the terminal, improving passenger flows and meeting new European security requirements.

The project does not provide for an increase in the number of take-offs and landings that the airport's airfield can currently handle. Aena has explicitly stated that the planned works will not increase airfield capacity.

The distinction is important as the project has become part of a wider debate in Ibiza about tourism capacity and the island's ability to accommodate visitors.

What Aena Is Actually Planning

Aena's project involves a substantial reconfiguration of the terminal building.

One of the main changes will be the creation of a centralised passport-control area and the separation of Schengen and non-Schengen passenger flows.

A new pier dedicated to passengers travelling to or from destinations outside the Schengen area is also planned. This will allow border controls to be reorganised and is intended to improve passenger flows and operational efficiency.

The project will also increase the number of boarding gates to 32.

The boarding area will be reorganised, with improved accessibility to gates through new ramps and lifts. Aena also plans improvements to toilets, rest areas, children's areas and facilities for passengers with reduced mobility.

New Security Technology

Another major component is the replacement and upgrading of security-control equipment.

Aena says the new-generation equipment will allow passengers to keep liquids and electronic devices inside their hand luggage during security screening.

The technology requires additional space, which is one of the reasons for the planned expansion and reconfiguration of the terminal building.

The project is therefore partly driven by changes in European aviation and border-control requirements rather than simply by a desire to accommodate more aircraft movements.

More Space Inside the Airport

The redevelopment will create additional areas for passengers, airport workers and airlines.

Plans include a second floor for offices, a passenger terrace and a larger VIP lounge.

Aena says the objective is to provide more space per passenger and improve the quality and efficiency of the airport's existing operations.

The airport's inter-island operation will also receive a dedicated area in the boarding zone, with improved accessibility to the relevant gates.

The €38.7 Million DORA Investment

The recently approved Documento de Regulación Aeroportuaria, or DORA, for 2027-2031 includes €38.7 million for Ibiza Airport under the investment programme for adapting the terminal building to new regulations.

The DORA was approved by the Spanish Council of Ministers on September 15, 2026, and establishes the regulatory framework governing Aena's airport network during the 2027-2031 period.

The DORA investment figure should not be confused with the broader approximately €229 million investment figure cited by Fomento del Turismo's president in discussions about the overall modernisation project.

Works Expected From 2030

Aena has said that execution of the Ibiza Airport remodelling is planned to begin from 2030.

The project is therefore still in the planning and preparation phase rather than being a construction project already under way.

The latest DORA documentation lists the Ibiza terminal adaptation as an investment scheduled within the 2027-2031 regulatory period, with completion planned beyond that period. The investment table gives December 2035 as the planned completion date.

What the Project Does Not Do

Despite the scale of the terminal works, Aena has been explicit about one point: the project does not increase the capacity of the airport's field of flight.

That means the planned works do not create additional hourly take-off and landing capacity.

The project can nevertheless provide more space inside the terminal, more boarding gates and improved passenger processing.

Those are different concepts from increasing the number of aircraft movements the airport can handle.

Why the Project Has Become a Debate in Ibiza

The airport is one of Ibiza's key pieces of infrastructure for both residents and visitors, making its future development closely connected to discussions about tourism and island capacity.

Fomento del Turismo president Alejandro Sancho Ferrer has argued that the modernisation is necessary for reasons including safety, regulatory compliance, passenger comfort and resident connectivity.

He has also argued that the project should not be interpreted as a plan to increase tourism because the airport's airfield capacity is not being expanded.

Those are his views as president of the tourism organisation and should be distinguished from Aena's documented description of the project itself. Aena's position is more specific: the planned works do not increase the number of take-offs and landings currently possible.

A Modernised Airport, Not a New Airfield

Ibiza Airport's next major transformation is therefore primarily about the infrastructure passengers use once they arrive at the airport.

The project will reorganise the terminal, introduce new security and border-control systems, increase boarding-gate capacity, improve accessibility and create additional passenger and operational space.

At the same time, Aena says the number of take-offs and landings currently possible will not increase because the capacity of the airfield itself is not being expanded.

With execution planned from 2030 and the DORA investment programme extending to 2031 and beyond, the modernisation will take several years to complete.