The announcement followed the first Air Connectivity Roundtable, a collaborative working forum comprising public-sector and private-sector representatives, as well as AENA. As a result of this meeting, the necessary steps will be taken to launch a public tender this summer, aiming to secure two new domestic and two new international routes for 2026. In the words of the President of Navarra, María Chivite, who attended the meeting, “we want to move forward together in this community commitment to enhance our levels of intermodality and competitiveness.”
Domestically, the goal is to restore flights to Barcelona and establish a new route to Levante or southern Spain. On the international front, the regional government is working to secure two new connections to Europe, with potential destinations including France, Germany or Italy. However, the final selection will depend on an analysis of current and potential demand data.
“We are looking for connections that, beyond serving as final destinations, function as national and international hubs linking Navarra with its tourist and business markets,” Chivite confirmed. The President added that “destinations are chosen based on business, tourism and talent attraction and retention needs and prospects.”
Moreover, Chivite explained that these initial steps “are the fruit of months of work” during which the Government of Navarra established direct dialogue with the business, academic and tourism sectors. It also held bilateral meetings with airlines while seeking collaboration and advice from Aena, the Ministry of Tourism through Turespaña, and the Secretary of State for Tourism.
In this regard, the Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Rebeca Esnaola, argued that “Navarra is also an attractive region for airline operations.” She went on to say that “the Government is building confidence in our region through one-to-one meetings with carriers to understand their needs and share mutually beneficial opportunities.”
A technical follow-up meeting is expected to be convened to continue work on the tender and to plan a strategy that balances the community’s needs with those of the airlines and the current context.
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Source: Navarra.es