Alicante-Elche Airport is planning to replace all its terminal seating, with new benches offering USB ports and power sockets for passengers. The current seats were installed in 2011 and have reached the end of their recommended lifespan. Airport operator Aena has put the project out to tender, with a budget of more than three million euros. The number of seats will also increase. The successful contractor will have ten months to supply and install them, once the contract is awarded.

Elche-based aerospace company PLD Space has moved a step closer to launching Spain’s next orbital rocket. Its MIURA 5 launcher has entered a new phase of system-level testing, with three vehicles now built. Engineers are testing the rocket’s systems and validating its components ahead of its first demonstration flight, currently planned for the first half of 2027. The company has also completed tests of the mechanism that separates the rocket’s two stages during flight.

Torrevieja has been ranked the most transparent local authority in the Valencian Community and seventh across Spain, according to the latest assessment by independent platform DYNTRA. The council achieved a score of 85.33 per cent, meeting 157 of 184 transparency indicators. It has climbed 15 places in the national ranking since April. Its strongest result was in financial transparency, where it scored 100 per cent, although open data remains an area for improvement.

And Benidorm has honoured Úrsula Llinares Martínez, known locally as Sola, as its Outstanding Neighbour of the Year. The award recognises her long-standing voluntary work supporting people in need through organisations including Cáritas, Manos Unidas and the Spanish Association Against Cancer. Born in Benidorm in 1938, she has also contributed to local community and religious groups over many years. The recognition was presented at the town hall on Thursday.