Alicante Airport’s €1.1bn Expansion: What British Travellers Need To Know

Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández Airport is preparing for a €1.1 cardinal translator that will reshape really millions of passengers – peculiarly those arriving from nan UK – walk done 1 of Spain’s busiest vacation gateways. The Alicante airdrome description forms a awesome portion of Spain’s €12.9 cardinal nationalist airdrome modernisation plan, but fewer hubs are arsenic intimately linked to British tourism, spot ownership and year-round mobility arsenic this Costa Blanca favourite.

With a caller non-Schengen terminal area, upgraded information systems and nan rollout of Europe’s biometric EU Entry/Exit System (EES), nan recreation acquisition for British visitors is entering a caller era.

Alicante’s billion-euro upgrade

Aena has confirmed that Alicante–Elche will person 1 of nan largest finance packages successful its full Spanish network. The task expands nan existing terminal by astir 30 per cent, creating importantly much boarding, check-in and commercialized space. A brand-new non-Schengen dock will beryllium added specifically for passengers arriving from extracurricular nan Schengen area – including nan UK – and will incorporate an enlarged, centralised border-control area built astir biometric processing.

The redevelopment besides includes nan rollout of next-generation information scanners, which are expected to yet let liquids and electronics to stay wrong manus luggage. Once complete, nan airport’s yearly capacity is expected to emergence from its existent 15–18 cardinal passengers to astir 26 million. 

Modernised baggage systems, improved circulation areas and further airbridges will besides thief nan airdrome header pinch nan sheer measurement of UK flights that now walk done it daily.

Why it matters for British travellers and expats

For galore of our readers, Alicante–Elche is much than an airdrome – it is nan main span betwixt nan UK and Costa Blanca. More than six cardinal British passengers usage it each year, making nan UK its azygous largest root of world traffic. The British footprint extends beyond tourism; expats and spot owners dangle connected Alicante for predominant travel, family visits and semipermanent stays.

These upgrades travel arsenic nan EU Entry/Exit System originates reshaping separator procedures. British visitors, now classed arsenic third-country nationals aft Brexit, must registry biometric information erstwhile crossing into Schengen. Early rollouts astatine Alicante person seen queues of 45–75 minutes astatine highest times, particularly erstwhile respective UK flights get astatine once. Families, older travellers and those unfamiliar pinch nan caller exertion person recovered nan modulation challenging.

The description is designed to easiness these pressures, but passengers should expect inconsistent experiences while some EES and awesome building activity settee in.

What British residents are saying: mixed early experiences pinch EES astatine Alicante

Over nan past week, British residents and regular travellers person shared a flurry of reports online astir really EES is moving successful existent clip astatine Alicante airdrome – and nan image is acold from uniform. Experiences disagree by clip of day, number of arriving flights, staffing, and moreover which serviceman you speak to.

Some arrivals opportunity that Alicante has already begun utilizing a “residents lane.” One traveller reported that his woman was directed to a designated area for residents connected arrival. But others said that while signs exist, officers sometimes instruct residents to subordinate nan aforesaid ample queue arsenic non-EU tourists: “There is simply a motion saying that if you’re a resident, speak to police. But they conscionable nonstop you to nan backmost of nan queue.”

Queue times alteration dramatically. One resident described an 85-minute wait, saying astir UK passports still couldn’t beryllium processed by nan machines. But others reported almost nary hold astatine all. Another British mates said they landed erstwhile only 1 formation was arriving and were waved straight into nan EU passport lane aft showing their TIE cards, pinch nary passport stamp and nary EES processing required.

Experiences astatine adjacent Murcia Airport person besides been mixed. One rider said he was simply asked whether he was a resident and past sent to a instrumentality that completed nan EES registration automatically.

Some travellers arriving into Alicante this week described a amazingly soft process. One family arriving astatine 5pm said they were guided to a caller fingerprint-registration area wherever nan machines were “really straightforward” to use. They reached nan baggage hallway successful astir 20 minutes, pinch only a little hold erstwhile 1 relative’s fingerprints grounded to registry and he was sent to a manual booth. They besides noticed dozens of further machines not yet successful use, suggesting further capacity is connected nan way.

Others, however, encountered nan opposite: “Chaos and large queues,” 1 rider wrote aft landing to find 10 EES gates unfastened and “loads of group trying to get done astatine once.”

These contrasting accounts underline nan reality: nan EES rollout astatine Alicante and different awesome airports successful Spain is experiencing immoderate increasing pains and is still settling.

How to navigate Alicante during EES and building works

Until some nan description and nan biometric strategy are afloat stabilised, travellers are powerfully advised to scheme ahead. For now, arriving astatine slightest 3 hours earlier departure remains sensible, particularly astatine highest vacation times. First-time EES registration involves scanning a passport, providing fingerprints and having a facial image captured – steps that tin importantly summation processing times.

British residents holding TIE cards whitethorn still look mixed instructions, truthful they should beryllium prepared for either lane assignment. Airlines are updating proposal often based connected real-world conditions, and passengers should cheque some hose guidance and charismatic European Commission EES accusation earlier travelling.

What’s adjacent for Alicante–Elche

Aena’s finance programme runs from 2027 to 2031, though early preparatory useful are already nether way. Initial phases attraction connected adapting nan terminal layout for biometric separator power and preparing nan foundations for nan non-Schengen dock. Larger structural useful will follow, alongside nan broader integer infrastructure that Aena is deploying crossed Spain.

Alicante’s upgrade besides sits wrong Europe’s wider displacement to “smart borders”, pinch EES becoming modular crossed nan EU and nan ETIAS recreation authorisation expected later successful nan decade. For nan Costa Blanca, these changes awesome a semipermanent committedness to maintaining strong, modernised connections pinch nan UK.