New taxiway to boost Alicante Airport capacity by 2028
Plans are also underway to expand the Alicante terminal and car parks
It’s just been confirmed that Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport will gain a new taxiway by 2028, a project aimed at increasing its capacity to handle more flights. Airport operator Aena has awarded works worth €13 million to construction firm Pavasal, with work set to begin at the start of next year.
For more than a year now, the airport has been breaking passenger records. In July alone, the terminal handled 2.1 million travellers, the highest figure to date. These numbers have fuelled concerns that the airport is nearing its capacity limit, particularly among the regional government and Alicante’s business community, which has long called for a second runway and a major expansion.
While that larger project is moving slowly (it only went out to tender in January) Aena has moved to fulfil its commitments under the Airport Regulation Document (DORA). The new taxiway will take 27 months to complete once work begins, meaning it will not be operational until 2028.
Physically, the work will involve building an additional taxiway perpendicular to the terminal building. At the moment, planes share a single lane for both entering and exiting the runway, which can lead to bottlenecks. The new taxiway will allow two-way operations, making landings and take-offs more efficient.
Last year, the airport handled 116,270 operations - an average of 317 flights per day, or one every four minutes. In comparison, 101,410 movements were recorded in 2019, with 15 million passengers that year, while 2023 saw 100,547 flights and 15.7 million passengers.
In addition to the taxiway, a €24 million terminal expansion project is planned, alongside a potential rail connection to the airport being studied by the Ministry of Transport.
Seven international architecture companies have submitted proposals, including firms behind projects such as the Santiago Bernabéu cladding, the Qatari terminal in Doha and the Cyprus Archaeological Museum.
Further investment is also planned. According to Aena, another €6 million in improvement projects is awaiting approval, including new office spaces for rent and upgrades to the parking areas.
In other news: Aggressive Brit arrested on flight to Alicante
Image: Archive
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