The Central Government and Its Position
The Government’s proposal to suspend the current operation of El Prat airport has generated widespread rejection by the Spanish government. The initiative, which seeks to allow the two runways to operate independently for four hours a day during July and August, has been criticized as frivolous and baseless by several members of the government.
The Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, has expressed his opposition to the proposal, considering it as an attempt to show that infrastructure development is being promoted. This has been added to criticism about the lack of making brave strategic decisions by the Catalan executive in relation to the future of Catalonia.
Reactions of Local Political Leaders
Salvador Illa, leader of the Socialists in Catalonia, has described the proposal as unworkable without properly addressing the concerns of the residents. Although the measure could increase the airport’s flight capacity, it has warned of the possible negative impact on localities such as Gavà, stressing the importance of respecting previous agreements on the reduction of noise damage.
The words of the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, have reiterated this concern, stressing that the proposal violates previous agreements and aggravates acoustic problems for areas such as Castelldefels and Gavà. In addition, the real improvement of the airport’s operations with this change has been questioned, arguing that it does not take advantage of the potential of intercontinental connections.
Defense and Internal Criticism
The president of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès, has defended the proposal as a rigorous measure applicable in a shorter period, highlighting the need to invest in soundproofing by Aena to mitigate the negative impacts. Despite the criticism, Aragonès has highlighted the conformity of the proposal with the regulations and its temporary nature and has announced the presentation of the proposal to the technical commission State – Generalitat for assessment.
The Generalitat Government’s proposal seeks to modify the operation of the runways at El Prat airport during the summer months to increase operating capacity. Currently, with two parallel runways, the feasibility of increasing the capacity to take on more long-term flights is being studied, while respecting the regulations and previous agreements on environmental and acoustic impacts.
