EIB and Aena sign €140M loan to improve safety and operational resilience at Spanish airports

The funds will also go to innovation and information technology projects across Aena’s airport network in Spain and its headquarters in Madrid.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Aena have signed a €140 million loan to finance improvements to safety and operational resilience at Spanish airports. The funds will also go to innovation and information technology projects across Aena's airport network in Spain and its headquarters in Madrid.

The main investments to be financed by the EIB are safety and security initiatives, including runway works and taxiway redesigns in line with the latest updates from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and upgrades to aircraft parking stand lighting systems.

The financing will also be used for investments like those related to the rehabilitation of airside pavements, emergency control system upgrades, the replacement of passenger boarding bridges, and the supply and installation of safety filter equipment.

Other Aena projects eligible for these funds are those based on information technology (process automation, cybersecurity, database management, building information modelling -BIM- and software acquisition and licensing) and innovation (biometric equipment, development of a data-driven platform and processes related to the digital customer experience and passenger terminal efficiency).

The operation is in line with the EIB Transport Lending Policy, which prioritises investments to improve the sustainability and resilience of existing transport infrastructure, along with investments in new sustainable mobility projects. The project also falls under the EIB Group's sustainable cities and regions, and innovation, digital and human capital public policy goals.

Around one-third of the funds will be spent on developing Aena airport facilities located in Spanish regions that the European Union classifies as less developed, where the gross domestic product per capita is less than 75% of the EU average. As a result, the operation is also an important one for promoting social and economic cohesion and helping to reduce regional inequalities and promote investment in less developed areas.

The signed loan of €140 million is the third tranche of an EIB financing approved in 2022 totalling €800 million.