Ibiza Airport is set to be the focus of a major investment programme during the 2027-2031 regulatory period, with a broader figure of €229.7 million associated with the airport's planned investment.

However, the final DORA III document published in Spain's Official State Gazette provides a more precise picture of what is formally detailed at airport level.

The document itemises €159.620 million in regulated investment for Ibiza between 2027 and 2031. The remaining portion of the broader €229.7 million figure is not broken down by airport in the DORA and is associated with non-regulated investment linked to commercial activity.

The distinction is important because the €159.620 million is the amount that can be traced directly, line by line, through the final DORA III tables.

€159.6 Million in Regulated Investment

The final DORA III allocates €159.620 million of regulated investment to Ibiza Airport over the five-year period.

The investment is divided between strategic, relevant, regulatory and other investment categories.

The largest individual allocation is €55.246 million for the adaptation of the terminal building to new regulations.

Other significant amounts cover maintenance and replacement, security, information systems, airfield and aircraft-platform works, access infrastructure and sustainability.

How the €159.6 Million Is Divided

The official DORA III breakdown is as follows:

The figures and classifications come directly from the Ibiza investment table in DORA III.

The Terminal Is the Largest Single Project

The biggest individual allocation is the €55.246 million assigned to the “Adaptation of the terminal building to new regulations”.

The DORA allocates €2.965 million in 2027, €2.931 million in 2028 and €2.707 million in 2029 for this project.

The investment then increases sharply, with €16.811 million programmed for 2030 and €29.833 million for 2031.

The DORA gives the strategic project a completion milestone of December 2035, meaning the overall terminal intervention extends beyond the five-year investment period covered by DORA III.

What the Terminal Works Are Expected to Include

Aena has previously explained that the terminal project is intended to respond to new European requirements for border controls and airport security.

Plans include a centralised passport-control system and the separation of Schengen and non-Schengen passenger flows.

The boarding area is also planned to undergo a comprehensive renovation, with the number of boarding gates increasing from the current 17 to 32.

Aena also plans a new pier dedicated to passengers travelling outside the Schengen area.

The project includes upgraded security-screening equipment, improved access to boarding gates, renovated toilets, rest areas, children's areas and facilities for passengers with reduced mobility.

A second floor is planned to accommodate offices, while the project also includes a passenger terrace and a larger VIP lounge.

Eight New Boarding Bridges

The terminal plans also include eight additional boarding bridges.

Aena says the new configuration is intended to make better use of boarding bridges and reduce the number of flights where passengers need to travel between the terminal and aircraft by bus.

According to Aena's explanation of the project, the proportion of high-season flights using boarding bridges could rise from around 25% to approximately 75%.

The final details remain subject to the construction project currently being developed.

A New Non-Schengen Pier

One of the most significant structural changes is the planned creation of a dedicated pier for non-Schengen passengers.

Aena says the change is linked to European border-control requirements and the need to create a more efficient system for passengers travelling between Spain and destinations outside the Schengen area.

The new arrangement is intended to separate passenger flows and provide a centralised passport-control process.

The current proposal includes a new pier measuring approximately 170 metres by 24 metres, according to the technical documentation reported on the project.

€17 Million for Airfield and Platform Works

The DORA III tables also contain €17.061 million for airfield and platform works when the relevant and other investment categories are combined.

Of this amount, €11.130 million is classified as relevant investment and €5.931 million as other investment.

The DORA allocation does not mean that the airport is receiving a new runway.

Aena has clarified that the works included in these investment lines concern areas such as pavements, aircraft parking platforms and taxiways rather than an increase in the number of flights the runway can handle.

Security Accounts for a Significant Share

Security is another major component of the investment programme.

The DORA allocates €4.845 million to increased operational safety and €6.459 million to the improvement of security for people and facilities within the regulatory investment categories.

A further €1.949 million and €11.589 million are assigned to the equivalent categories under other investment.

Taken together, those four lines represent almost €25 million of the regulated investment programme.

The planned terminal project also incorporates new security-screening technology to meet European requirements. Aena says the new equipment will allow passengers to keep liquids and electronic devices inside their luggage during the relevant security process.

€25.5 Million for Maintenance and Replacement

Not all of the money will be used on highly visible construction.

The second-largest individual allocation in the Ibiza table is €25.498 million for support, replacement and improvement investments.

This category covers the conservation and renewal of existing airport infrastructure and equipment during the five-year period.

It represents more than 15% of Ibiza's regulated DORA investment and illustrates that a substantial portion of the programme is directed towards maintaining and replacing infrastructure rather than building new passenger areas.

Technology and Information Systems

Information and communications systems receive a combined €9.396 million.

The DORA assigns €2.304 million under regulatory investment and €7.092 million under other investment.

The wider programme includes improvements to passenger information, communications, digital systems and airport processes.

These investments are intended to support the wider modernisation programme and improve the way airport operations and passenger services are managed.

Access, Electricity and Sustainability

The investment programme also includes €7.177 million for urbanisation, access and connections.

The category covers infrastructure connected with the airport's external and internal services and access arrangements.

A further €1.700 million is allocated to the renewal and improvement of electrical systems.

Sustainability receives €8.284 million, covering investments associated with energy efficiency and reducing the environmental impact of airport operations.

Investment Is Concentrated Towards 2030 and 2031

The DORA's annual figures show that spending is weighted towards the final years of the regulatory period.

The investment rises particularly sharply in 2030 and 2031, when the airport is scheduled to receive €95.040 million in regulated investment combined.

The concentration towards the end of the period is consistent with the fact that the main terminal construction project remains in development.

The Broader €229.7 Million Figure

The €229.7 million figure that has been associated with Ibiza Airport covers a broader investment programme than the amount itemised in the regulated DORA table.

The final DORA III airport-level table records €159.620 million of regulated investment.

The difference is approximately €70 million. This part is not individually broken down by airport within the DORA's published tables and is associated with non-regulated investment, including commercial airport activity.

That means the two figures should not be treated as competing totals for the same accounting category.

The €229.7 million figure describes the broader investment envelope associated with Ibiza, while €159.620 million is the regulated investment that DORA III formally details by project and year.

Ibiza's Traffic Forecast

DORA III also provides traffic forecasts for Ibiza Airport.

The document projects 9,173,500 passengers in 2027, rising to 9,718,800 in 2031.

That represents forecast growth of 1.45% annually on a compound basis over the period.

The airport's capacity indicator remains at 10 million passengers annually in the DORA tables.

The passenger figures are forecasts used in the regulatory framework and should not be interpreted as a guaranteed number of people who will travel through Ibiza Airport.

Aircraft Operations Also Expected to Rise

DORA III forecasts 87,901 aircraft operations at Ibiza Airport in 2027.

By 2031, that figure rises to 92,964.

The document gives a compound annual growth rate of 1.41% for aircraft operations during the period.

It is important to distinguish aircraft operations from passengers. An operation refers to an aircraft movement, covering arrivals and departures.

The Project Is Still Being Developed

Despite the scale of the investment programme, the main terminal works have not yet been put out to tender as a construction contract.

Aena has already tendered project-management services for the airport programme, with a contract value of €16.241 million and a 60-month execution period.

The project-management contract covers the development, tendering, execution and eventual commissioning of the planned works.

The construction project itself still has to be developed before the major works can be tendered.

What the DORA III Means for Ibiza Airport

The final DORA III provides a clearer picture of where the regulated investment is expected to go over the next five years.

The largest allocation is the €55.246 million terminal-adaptation project, but significant sums will also go towards maintenance, security, airfield and platform infrastructure, digital systems, access, electricity and sustainability.

At the same time, the broader €229.7 million figure should be understood as a wider investment programme rather than a line-by-line DORA allocation.

The terminal project remains the most visible element, with plans for 32 boarding gates, a new non-Schengen pier, upgraded security and border-control facilities, improved passenger areas and a larger VIP lounge.

For now, however, the main construction phase remains ahead. The next stages are the completion of the technical and construction documentation, subsequent tendering and, eventually, execution of the works.