Gran Canaria Airport, an important connection point in the Canary Islands that supplies 99% of the south of the island with tourism, is estimated to generate annual revenues exceeding 600 million euros. However, the semi-public company Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea (Aena) has chosen not to publicly disclose this data, which has raised concerns among Canarians about the possibility of demanding investments proportional to the income that the airport generates. This facility, which has been located on land belonging to the Cabildo of Gran Canaria since its inauguration in 1949, has been the subject of debate, with the Royal Economic Society of Friends of the Country urging the Cabildo to recover management of the airport and delegate it to the Chamber of Commerce of Gran Canaria. The south of Gran Canaria is moving its agenda to request a presence on the board of directors of Aena given that it has a businessman from Asturias on the board and Gran Canaria moves 14 million passengers a year and Asturias barely 1,7 million passengers.
Through an exhaustive analysis carried out by Maspalomas24H, it has been concluded that, using conservative figures and comparing them with the financial report of London Luton Airport in the United Kingdom (owned by Aena), which handles a similar volume of passengers (15 million), it can be estimated that income from passenger fees in Gran Canaria amounts to 177,8 million euros. To this is added 42 million euros from the security fee, which brings the total to 219,8 million euros. In addition, it is estimated that spending in shops within the airport could reach 165 million euros, bringing the total to 384 million euros. However, it is important to note that these figures are conservative and do not include income from concepts such as slots, management of landings and takeoffs, or costs associated with delays on the runway.
To illustrate the fee structure, it can be seen that for domestic flights, the fee is approximately 10 Euros per passenger, while for international flights within the European Economic Area (EEA), it amounts to 19 Euros. Assuming that 70% of passengers are on domestic flights and 30% on international flights, this results in revenues of 98 million Euros and 79,8 million Euros respectively, for a total of 177,8 million Euros in passenger fees. In addition, each of the 14 million passengers pays 3 Euros in security fees, which represents another 42 million Euros, for a total of 219,8 million Euros.
The simulation of airport charges for Gran Canaria takes into account various factors, including passenger charges, landing, security, air navigation and ground handling. Charges vary depending on the destination and type of flight, and ground handling costs, although applied to the airlines, can have an impact on the final price of the ticket. For its part, the air navigation charge, managed by ENAIRE, depends on the distance travelled and the maximum take-off weight of the aircraft.
In 2022, Luton Airport reported revenues of approximately £200 million, a significant increase driven by the recovery of air traffic following the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. According to Aena's Consolidated Management Report for the first nine months of 2024, commercial and real estate revenue per passenger was 5,58 euros, representing an increase of 2,8% compared to the same period in 2023. If we consider that the average passenger expenditure at Gran Canaria Airport is approximately 11 euros, the total expenditure for 14 million passengers could reach 165 million euros, without taking into account the cargo business or the periods when flights to the EEA exceed domestic or inter-island flights.
