Controversy over airport expansion in Barcelona
The president of Catalonia Salvador Illa presented extensive modernisation and expansion plans for Barcelona airport on Tuesday. The runway is to be extended into an area that is a designated nature reserve to make long-haul flights possible and turn the airport into an international hub which will boost the economy. A long overdue step for some, but highly problematic for others.
Infrastructure needs update
La Vanguardia sees the decision as good news for Catalonia:
“Fifteen years have passed since the last expansion. ... The economic activity and tourism have grown, but the infrastructure has remained the same. What's important now is to leave behind this period of paralysis that has lasted too many years. ... Last year, the airport exceeded its capacity limit of 55 million passengers per year. So let us celebrate the fact that a project that could no longer be put off is finally being tackled, because its implementation will take a long time. ... The work on extending the runways, renovating Terminals 1 and 2 and building a satellite terminal is due to start in 2030 and be completed three years later.”
"Progressive thinking" of yesteryear
El Periódico de Catalunya is critical:
“An outrageous narrative is being used that equates expansion with progress. And even more unacceptably with modernity, so as to justify the invasion of natural spaces and their biodiversity. ... Sustainability and a fair distribution of wealth have never been compatible with the exploitation of nature and the unbridled pursuit of profit. This is a perverse equation that has its roots in the distant past and is just as reactionary today as it was in the years of Franco's 'desarrollismo' [development policy]. ... Therefore we must be thankful that social movements and renowned academic voices have spoken out against the plans and aim to raise awareness among the younger generations of alternatives for a different future.”
Climate crisis requires maximum environmental guarantees
El País points to past omissions regarding environmental protection:
“The extension of the runway will not only increase the number of flights and therefore emissions, it will also encroach on two protected wetlands. ... The plan will be scrutinised by the EU, which will make the decision on changes to the boundaries of the protected areas. ... The catch is that Europe still has an open file on the previous expansion, because not all the compensatory measures promised back then have been implemented. ... The expansion of El Prat should be carried out with maximum environmental guarantees.”