During the government control session, Puente responded to the Coalición Canaria (CC) deputy, Cristina Valido, regarding the degree of participation of the autonomous community in the administration of the archipelago's airports. The minister defended Spain's current network airport model, calling it a "successful experience" and highlighting the recovery and increase in air traffic, including that of the Canary Islands' airports.
Despite his stance on the management model, Óscar Puente acknowledged the territorial uniqueness of the Canary Islands. He assured that the Executive is "absolutely open" to optimizing dialogue and coordination mechanisms with the autonomous communities on airport management. He insisted that there is room for reaching agreements within the current constitutional framework, as long as the current model is not put "in danger."
“"The Statute of Autonomy is clear regarding the decision-making and participation space that the Autonomous Community must have, and has stressed that what it establishes "are rights, it is law, it is not a technical issue, it is a political, territorial issue, of equality, of social cohesion."
The nationalist parliamentarian, Cristina Valido, argued that the Canary Islands' Statute of Autonomy clearly establishes the autonomous community's rights of participation in this matter. She criticized that, while the Minister of Territorial Policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, has opened the possibility of a bilateral commission with the Canary Islands, statements from other officials such as the president of Aena or the Secretary of State for Transport show an "absolute rejection" of this participation. Valido suggested that private capital in Aena might be prioritizing dividends over the rights and public service to Canarians.
Additionally, Puente mentioned the 75% subsidy on the cost of air tickets for Canary Islands residents, a measure that, according to him, guarantees the archipelago's connectivity with the rest of the national territory.
