Ibiza Airport expansion faces fight over passenger growth

More than nine million passengers used Ibiza Airport in the Balearic Islands in 2025: an environmental group now challenges plans to expand it. On 16 October 2026, Amics de la Terra Eivissa said it had written to the president of airport operator Aena, opposing the plans and asking for technical evidence to justify the work.

The group says most people on Ibiza oppose the expansion. It argues that the island already faces too much pressure from visitors in summer and through much of the year. Passenger numbers at the airport have risen from 6.4 million in 2015 to more than nine million in 2025, it says.

Amics de la Terra Eivissa says an announced 2,000-square-metre VIP lounge does not justify expanding the airport. It wants Aena to say which parts of the project are required by European rules and which would allow it to handle more passengers. It also asks what study shows a need for 12 boarding gates for passengers from outside the Schengen area. The group has requested a written reply, arguing that a project involving infrastructure of general interest must serve residents’ interests.

Topics: Air travel

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com