The Spanish state airport operator, AENA. which owns Palma airport, has taken a major stake in two British airports as it continues to expand in the United Kingdom. AENA already administers Luton airport.
Aena, through its subsidiary Aena Desarrollo Internacional, has reached an agreement with InfraBridge to acquire 51% of the capital of the new holding company that owns and manages 100% of Leeds Bradford Airport and 49% of Newcastle Airport for £270 million (approximately €309 million).
According to the Spanish press AENA wants to estabish a network of British airports. Both Newcastle and Leeds/Bradford have extensive links with Mallorca.
Nick Jones, Chief Executive Officer of Newcastle Airport said: “This agreement is significant news for the Airport’s future ambitions recently outlined in our Masterplan 2040, and we are delighted that our performance, potential and ambitious growth plans, have been recognised by Aena.
“The Airport provides essential connectivity, £1 billion GVA and 3,500 direct jobs to the North East economy and our team consistently delivers award-winning levels of customer service to our passengers and airlines.
"We look forward to working closely with Aena Internacional, Infrabridge and our local authority partners as we continue to drive forward ambitious plans for the North East region.”
Vincent Hodder, Chief Executive at Leeds Bradford Airport, said: “This agreement is a positive development for Leeds Bradford Airport, for our employees and customers and for Yorkshire. We are excited about the future as we welcome Aena as our new majority shareholder. Aena is the world’s largest airport operator by passenger numbers and brings deep operational expertise, and a strong track record of investing in and developing high quality airport infrastructure around the world.”
Newcastle For summer 2026
Jet2.com offers flights to Palma (Majorca) from Newcastle with up to 14 flights per week, while Eurowings typically flies the route about twice weekly, with specific schedules and frequencies varying by airline, month, and season, so checking airline sites is best.