Illa is preparing to ask Aena to expand El Prat Airport.

The Catalan government plans to present its proposal next week, or no later than the following week, based on the deliberations of the committee of experts working on a solution to expand El Prat Airport's long-haul operational capacity.

The sources consulted indicate that there are still several meetings pending with the committee of experts, and in fact, the president of Aena, Mauricio Lucena, visited the offices at the Palau de la Generalitat. President Salvador Illa will then make the decision. Broadly speaking, the solution would involve extending the third runway, the one closest to the sea and used for takeoffs, by 500 meters; creating a new institutional body that would allow the voice of local governments to be taken into account in airport management and strategy; and providing compensation to cover the environmental impacts the expansion will entail.

"We will have a very good proposal, as far as possible," assured the Minister of the Presidency, Albert Dalmau, yesterday, after emphasizing that the Government "will scrupulously comply with the investiture agreements," referring to the conditions imposed by ERC on this matter.

The Catalan government will have a decisive but non-binding role in the airport strategy.

The extension of the third runway and "governance"—Catalonia's ability to influence certain decisions regarding Catalan airports—are key issues, both tinged with controversy. However, the expansion of infrastructure is a particular focus of Salvador Illa, who is convinced that if Catalonia wants to regain Spain's economic leadership and become a key player in the European economy, it needs greater and better international connectivity. Furthermore, for the president, it demonstrates that the Catalan government is making decisions and that its management capacity is not being undermined.

Extending El Prat's third runway by 500 meters would affect the two protected areas surrounding it, Ricarda to the north and Remolar to the south, but sources consulted emphasize that the proposed project significantly reduces the impact on the northern area, Ricarda, to which all the environmental concerns raised during the expansion debate had been directed. Furthermore, "very ambitious" compensation measures are being prepared to counteract the effects of the runway extension.

The distance gained by the third runway will allow large aircraft to take off and land without problems, and the total investment is expected to exceed €2 billion, which would include the pending renovation of Terminal 1, Terminal 2, and the construction of the planned satellite terminal.

The Port of Barcelona's governance model is not applicable to the airport.

The other issue the experts' deliberations centered on is "governance," in the words of the ERC. In addition to expressing their opposition to any runway expansion, the Republicans have emphasized airport management, where they believe the Generalitat de Catalunya and the affected administrations should have a "decisive role" in certain strategic decisions, such as air routes or investments. This is stated in the investiture agreement signed by the PSC and ERC.

To accommodate the Republicans' demands, a formula is proposed that would allow the Catalan government to be "a key player in strategic decision-making related to El Prat Airport," such as the master plan, investments, etc. However, the body through which this demand would be channeled would have limited influence and therefore its powers, in accordance with current laws, including the Constitution, so its role would be purely advisory.

The sources consulted emphasize that the Port of Barcelona model, governed by a board of directors comprising the General State Administration, the Generalitat (Catalan Government), Barcelona City Council, El Prat City Council, unions, and companies, is not applicable to the airport due to the nature of the airport operator, Aena, a listed company with state ownership. In fact, some note that the company's shares fell 7% after the details of the investiture agreement with ERC were revealed.

The proposal significantly reduces the impact on the protected area of ​​Ricarda

Once the Government makes the decision to expand the airport this summer, the corresponding drafts of the project will be presented, and then the period for public exhibition will open, with a target date of autumn 2026, when the final approval of DORA III, the Airport Regulation Document that will reflect all these investments, is expected.

If the project goes ahead, the airport will put years of paralysis behind it, although it will still take years before it's fully realized. The environmental assessment could take up to three years before construction begins, followed by another five years of construction.

In search of political consensus

After clearing the financial path for the Generalitat with the approval of a 4 billion euro supplementary budget thanks to his investiture partners, the ERC (Republican Revolutionary Party) and the Comuns (Communist Party), Illa is tackling the airport issue shortly before tackling the other major issue of the legislature: the one-off financing. Although the president is determined to push through the expansion, the political situation in Catalonia requires, as has been the case until now, a political agreement. This agreement would involve reaching an understanding with the ERC (Republican Revolutionary Party), which left its position on the airport in writing in the investiture pact. With the Comuns (Republican Party), Illa's other ally, an understanding is impossible because they are radically opposed to the project and are already preparing to confront it by all means available. The government does not need parliamentary endorsement to push forward its expansion plan, but the broadest possible consensus seems crucial for the project to receive the approval of Europe, which will have the final say on the viability of the works.