Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport is set for a major expansion and investment programme as passenger numbers continue to climb.
Spain’s government has approved the new DORA 2027–2031 airport investment programme, which includes hundreds of millions of euros in planned investment at Alicante Airport. The programme is designed to increase capacity, improve terminal facilities and prepare the airport for the continued growth in passenger numbers.
For anyone regularly flying to Alicante, Benidorm, Torrevieja or elsewhere on the Costa Blanca, this is one of the more significant airport developments to keep an eye on.
Alicante Airport is already handling record numbers of passengers
The need for additional capacity is easy to understand when looking at the latest passenger figures.
In August 2026 alone, Alicante-Elche Airport handled 2,337,378 passengers, an increase of 11.4% compared with August 2025.
The airport also recorded 14,069 aircraft movements during the month, up 11.7% year-on-year.
Even more significantly, between January and August 2026, Alicante Airport handled 14,739,523 passengers, representing a 9.9% increase compared with the same period in 2025.
International passengers continue to make up the overwhelming majority of traffic.
In August, 2,085,186 international passengers passed through the airport, accounting for almost 90% of the total. The UK was by far the largest international market, with around 800,000 passengers in August alone. Germany, the Netherlands and Poland followed at a considerable distance.
That makes Alicante Airport particularly important for the millions of international visitors who use the airport as their gateway to the Costa Blanca every year.
More than €600 million planned for Alicante Airport
The newly approved DORA 2027–2031 programme includes €618.8 million of regulated investment at Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport during the five-year period.
The largest part of the programme is the expansion of the terminal area.
According to the official document published in Spain’s Official State Gazette, around €339.7 million is allocated to terminal expansion between 2027 and 2031. Other investment will cover airfield and apron improvements, terminal processes and quality, security, information systems, navigation systems and other infrastructure.
This is worth clarifying because some reports and social media posts have been referring to an €868 million investment at Alicante Airport.
The official DORA figures show a different number for the regulated investment programme: €618.827 million for Alicante-Elche between 2027 and 2031.
The €618.8 million figure is therefore the number to use when referring specifically to the investment programme defined in DORA 2027–2031.
The terminal expansion will continue beyond 2031
There is another important detail that is easy to miss.
Although the DORA programme covers the period from 2027 to 2031, the strategic terminal expansion at Alicante Airport is scheduled to continue beyond the end of that regulatory period.
The official document identifies the terminal area expansion as a strategic investment with a €237.8 million investment threshold before the end of 2031, with the project scheduled for completion in December 2034.
So passengers should not expect to arrive at Alicante Airport in January 2032 and find a completely transformed terminal.
This is a long-term project.
Alicante Airport needs more capacity
Alicante Airport’s current annual passenger capacity is listed at approximately 22 million passengers.
The DORA documentation projects passenger demand at Alicante-Elche to reach approximately 35.1 million passengers in 2027 and 38.2 million by 2031.
Those figures help explain why substantial investment is being planned.
The airport is already operating at a level where passenger growth is putting increasing pressure on terminal infrastructure. The expansion is intended to prepare Alicante for significantly higher passenger volumes rather than simply deal with today’s traffic.
Aena currently describes Alicante-Elche as the leading airport in the Valencia region for passenger traffic and connections. In 2025, the airport handled around 20 million passengers, including approximately 17.5 million international passengers.
What will actually change for passengers?
The investment programme covers a number of areas, but the most visible change will be the expansion of the terminal.
The official investment programme includes:
- Expansion of the terminal area
- Improvements to terminal processes and passenger services
- Improvements to security infrastructure
- Upgrades to information and communication systems
- Improvements to airport access and associated infrastructure
- Airfield and apron improvements
- Navigation and operational improvements
- Investment in safety and airport infrastructure
The aim is not simply to make the building bigger. The investment is intended to increase the airport’s ability to handle passenger demand while improving the way passengers move through the terminal.
What about UK passengers?
The UK is particularly important to Alicante Airport.
In August 2026, approximately 800,000 UK passengers used Alicante-Elche Airport, making Britain by far the airport’s largest international market for that month.
This is especially relevant because Alicante Airport is one of the main gateways to destinations such as Benidorm, Torrevieja, Alicante itself and other parts of the Costa Blanca.
For British visitors, passport and border-control procedures are also a significant part of the airport experience following the UK’s departure from the EU.
However, it is important not to overstate what has officially been announced.
There are plenty of social-media claims about a completely new dedicated UK passenger area. The official DORA document confirms the major terminal expansion and the infrastructure investment programme, but it does not simply describe the project as a new “UK terminal”.
What is clear is that the airport is planning for substantially greater passenger demand, including the large international markets that Alicante already serves.
Nothing changes immediately
If you’re flying through Alicante Airport this year, you shouldn’t expect any immediate changes as a result of the announcement.
The DORA 2027–2031 regulatory period begins on 1 January 2027 and runs until 31 December 2031.
Some of the major terminal work will continue beyond that period, with the strategic terminal expansion currently scheduled for completion in December 2034.
In other words, this is a long-term transformation of Alicante Airport, not a short-term refurbishment.
Alicante Airport is getting ready for the next decade
The timing of the investment is hardly surprising.
Alicante-Elche Airport has experienced strong passenger growth throughout 2026. July saw more than 2.34 million passengers, followed by another 2.34 million in August, with both months recording growth of more than 11% compared with the previous year.
With almost 14.75 million passengers already passing through the airport during the first eight months of 2026, Alicante is on track for another very busy year.
The question is no longer whether Alicante Airport needs to prepare for growth.
It is how quickly the airport can expand while continuing to handle millions of passengers every year.
For Costa Blanca travellers, the answer will eventually be seen in the airport itself: more space, improved passenger facilities and infrastructure designed to cope with a much larger number of people passing through Alicante every year.
What would you change at Alicante Airport?
If you’ve flown through Alicante Airport recently, there’s probably one thing you would improve immediately.
Would you like to see:
- More passport control desks?
- Faster security screening?
- Better baggage reclaim?
- More seating?
- More charging points?
- Easier airport transfers?
- Better parking and access?
- Or simply more space during the busiest summer months?
The airport is now preparing for a major transformation.
The interesting part will be seeing whether the finished result actually solves the problems passengers experience today.
