In a democracy, transparency is a fundamental pillar. However, in Gran Canaria, Aena seems to have turned public information into a luxury good, inaccessible to citizens and the media. Aena does not publish specific breakdowns of its business figures for Gran Canaria Airport. However, general data on passenger traffic and operations at Canarian airports are available. What is Aena afraid of? That Maspalomas will claim a seat on the board of directors in view of the money that the south of Gran Canaria generates for the state-owned company. On the board of directors there is a businessman from Asturias, a territory that moves 1.974.850 passengers. Gran Canaria? 14 million in 2023, most of them to stay in the south of Gran Canaria.
In 2024, the Canary Islands' airports handled 52,8 million passengers, representing an increase of 9% compared to the previous year. Among them, Gran Canaria Airport stood out as one of the busiest, exceeding 14 million in 2024. At national level, Aena recorded a record 369,44 million passengers in 2024, an increase of 8,5% compared to 2023. Although specific business figures are not available for Gran Canaria Airport, these data reflect a positive trend in air traffic in the region.
While airports are breaking passenger records and ticket prices are skyrocketing, the management company imposes a wall of silence on its business figures on the island, hiding data that should be available to everyone. This is not an isolated case. For years, Aena has been offering general data on its operations, but when it comes to breaking down revenue, costs and profits by airport, the response is always the same: absolute silence. This information blackout prevents us from knowing the real impact that airport activity has on the island's economy, benefiting only the large tour operators and airlines, while citizens pay increasingly higher rates.
Aena's obscurity is even more serious in a region like the Canary Islands, where air connectivity is not a luxury, but a vital necessity. With a population that depends on air traffic for its mobility, knowing the flow of income generated by Gran Canaria Airport is essential to assess whether investments, fees and services are proportional to the activity it carries out. However, Aena shields itself behind bureaucracy and secrecy, denying key information under the pretext of business confidentiality. This information censorship not only calls into question Aena's management, but also shows the lack of political pressure to demand transparency. While other airports in Spain have detailed financial statements, in Gran Canaria citizens remain in the dark.
