Córdoba, headquarters of the new Transport Accident Investigation Authority: what changes in 2026

Key data

Córdoba will host the new independent body that unifies accident investigation across the three major modes of transport in Spain. The decision, published through Order PJC/582/2026 on June 10, 2026, ends the headquarters selection process in which Córdoba competed with Málaga.

The regulation is a direct consequence of Law 2/2024, which created this Independent Administrative Authority by unifying the former accident investigation commissions that operated separately for each mode of transport. The headquarters selection process was handled through urgent procedure and followed the participatory framework established in Royal Decree 209/2022.

What does this regulation establish?

Order PJC/582/2026 publishes the Agreement of the Council of Ministers of June 9, 2026 by which Córdoba is set as the physical headquarters of the Independent Administrative Authority for the Technical Investigation of Railway, Maritime and Civil Aviation Accidents and Incidents.

The key elements established by the regulation are as follows:

The decision responds to the policy of territorial decentralization of the state public sector, which seeks to distribute bodies outside Madrid to balance institutional presence across the territory.

Economic and operational impact

For the City Council of Córdoba, this decision represents a significant institutional attraction opportunity, but also an immediate responsibility: it must propose a suitable property within 1 year. If that process does not culminate in agreement, the headquarters selection procedure could be restarted, which would mean losing the designation.

For companies in the railway, maritime and civil aviation sectors, the main operational impact is knowing which body they will interact with regarding accident and incident investigation. The unification of the three former modal commissions into a single Independent Authority simplifies the institutional interlocutor, although in practice the Authority will continue to operate from Madrid provisionally until the transfer to Córdoba is completed.

The Technical Investigation Directorates and the Technical Support Unit may remain exceptionally in Madrid, which means that part of daily technical activity will not be physically relocated to Córdoba immediately.

Who does it affect?

• City Council of Córdoba: must propose a suitable property within 1 year. It is the actor with the most urgent need to act.
• Railway sector: operators, infrastructure managers and sector companies that participate in investigations of railway accidents and incidents.
• Maritime sector: shipping companies, ports and companies related to navigation that may be involved in maritime accident investigations.
• Civil aviation sector: airlines, airports, handling companies and other air sector actors subject to accident and incident investigations.
• State public sector: ministries and bodies linked to the management of the new Authority and its physical installation.
• Accident investigation professionals and technicians: personnel currently working in the former modal commissions who will be integrated into the new unified Authority.

Practical example

Imagine a Spanish airline that suffers a serious technical incident on one of its flights. Until the creation of the new Authority (Law 2/2024), it had to interact with the Commission for the Investigation of Civil Aviation Accidents and Incidents (CIAIAC), an independent modal body.

From now on, the single interlocutor for any investigation—whether air, rail or maritime—is the new Independent Administrative Authority. During the transitional period, that Authority operates from Madrid. Once the transfer to Córdoba is completed (minimum deadline: 1 year for the City Council to propose a property, plus the time for conditioning and actual transfer), the physical headquarters will be in Córdoba, although the Technical Investigation Directorates and the Technical Support Unit may remain exceptionally in Madrid.

For the airline, this means that there are no immediate operational changes in its notification or collaboration obligations in investigations, but it must update its internal protocols to correctly identify the new competent body.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify if your sector is affected: if you operate in railway, maritime or civil aviation transport, the new Authority is your interlocutor regarding accident and incident investigation since the entry into force of Law 2/2024.
2. Update internal accident management protocols: replace references to the former modal commissions (CIAIAC, CIAF, CIAIM) with the new Independent Administrative Authority in all internal procedures.
3. Continue operating with headquarters in Madrid provisionally: there is no immediate change of physical interlocutor. The Authority operates from Madrid until the definitive transfer to Córdoba.
4. Monitor the installation process in Córdoba: the City Council of Córdoba has until June 2027 to propose a property. If there is no agreement, the procedure could be restarted, which would generate additional uncertainty about the definitive headquarters.
5. If you are the City Council of Córdoba: immediately activate the internal process of identifying and proposing a suitable property to meet the 1-year deadline and not lose the designation.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-12582