Aena puts into play a contract of more than 200 million to protect its airports from cyber attacks

Aena has activated one of the largest technological contracts in its recent history to reinforce the digital protection of its airport network. The public manager puts out to tender a package valued at more than 200 million euros intended to renew the communications, computer systems and cybersecurity tools of all the airports and heliports that operate in Spain, in the face of the growing pressure of cyberattacks on strategic infrastructures and the regulatory fence that is tightening on them.

According to the minutes consulted, the manager has launched a budgeted tender in 216 million (before taxes) in which you will look for a provider that reinforces the guarantees of your cyber-resilience. To do this, it divides the future bid into three lots: the first, worth 47.8 million, includes the supply, installation and commissioning of equipment your network communications; The second, valued at 119.8 million, involves the equipment of systems such as servers or storage arrays or software licenses; and the third, budgeted at 11.6 million, includes the development of cybersecurity technological solutions. In total, the group calculates a net value of 179.2 million euros for the contract.

Following the usual policy, the company only provides the technical specifications to suppliers who pass the first phase as this contains sensitive information on ICT infrastructures and systems that, if published, would imply significant risks. It is worth remembering that two months ago Aena awarded Deloitte an internal cybersecurity audit which will include simulations of intrusion into its systems and among its employees, with a budget of up to 100,000 euros.

The sensitivity of the sector to increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks has been accentuated after the episode that occurred in September that caused serious disruptions in several European airports, especially in Berlin, Brussels and London-Heathrow. The attack then targeted check-in and boarding systems service provider Collins Aerospace and caused major disruptions at European airports.

A year ago, chaos did land at its airports with the global failure of the CrowdStrike cybersecurity platform last July, which affected millions of Windows computers around the world and generated operational incidents in the Aena network, such as specific delays in billing processes or in the internal management of systems. On that occasion, however, it was not a cyberattack, but rather an error in a software update that triggered a massive failure.

Leading role in your new investment plan

In this context, the ambition to modernize and protect the digital networks of its airports will also have a place in its new investment plan, which includes the commitment to allocate a total of 12,888 million euros – of which 9,991 million will be regulated – to shore up its infrastructure during the next regulatory framework between 2027 and 2031. Among its commitments, the allocation of approximately 1 billion euros to strengthen cybersecurity and advance digitalizationthrough contracts like the one now tendered.

As a result of this commitment, the Airports Council International (ACI) has designated the company that the State controls 51% through Enaire as host to host its next world airport innovation summit ‘Airports Innovate’ in Barcelona, ​​which will be held in Barcelona. will be held from November 23 to 25, 2026.