ENAIRE Foundation asserts the legacy of aeronautical engineer Emilio Herrera by sponsoring the digitisation of his archives

The ENAIRE Foundation is promoting the recognition of the career of aeronautical engineer Emilio Herrera Linares through various cultural and memory-related initiatives, together with the Spanish scientist’s family and in coordination with other public administrations. 

The personal archive of the engineer, inventor of the stratonautical pressure suit, is deposited and preserved at SHYCEA. 

As part of these initiatives, the Managing Director of the ENAIRE Foundation, Margarita Asuar, took part this Thursday in an event held at the Castle of Villaviciosa de Odón, at which the Government of Spain presented the Declaration of Recognition and Personal Reparation corresponding to Mr Emilio Herrera Linares and his wife, Irene Aguilera, to the engineer’s family. 

The event was also attended by Spain’s Permanent Representative to the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Ángel Luis Arias, who is also promoting the recognition of Emilio Herrera from within ICAO. Arias reported the confirmation received from ICAO for the installation of a permanent exhibition project on Emilio Herrera, designed by the ENAIRE Foundation, which will include pieces and museum resources adapted to the space of the organisation’s museum. 

In this context, the ENAIRE Foundation, in collaboration with other institutions and specialists, is coordinating the proposal that Spain will submit to ICAO to promote the figure of Emilio Herrera internationally. The initiative will include a reproduction of the stratonautical pressure suit and digital outreach resources. 

It should be recalled that the ENAIRE Foundation awarded Herrera its 30th Anniversary Honorary Award and has promoted a working group with researchers and institutions to advance knowledge of his legacy, both in terms of his scientific contributions and his historical and democratic significance. 

Repairing a historical debt 

The ceremony in which the Government of Spain presented the Declaration of Recognition and Personal Reparation to the engineer's family was presided over by the Secretary of State for Democratic Memory, Fernando Martínez, who handed the document to the engineer's great-grandchildren. The event also marked the formal signing of the deposit of Herrera’s personal archive with the Historical and Cultural Service of the Air and Space Force (SHYCEA), which will now be responsible for its custody and preservation. The ENAIRE Foundation will sponsor the full digitisation of the archive to ensure its long-term preservation and future public access. 

De izquierda a derecha, Margarita Asuar, Fernando Martínez, Rafael, Selena y Diego Herrera, bisnietos de Emilio Herrera e Irene Aguilera

A career defined by scientific excellence 

Emilio Herrera made significant contributions to engineering and aeronautics. He collaborated with figures such as Juan de la Cierva and Leonardo Torres Quevedo, contributed to international aeronautical terminology (coining the term “airspace”), and in 1935 designed the stratonautical pressure suit, a precursor to the pressurised suits used in space exploration. 

His wife, Irene Aguilera, played a key role in both his professional and personal life, documenting his work through her drawings and supporting him during years of exile. She was also a pioneer in aviation, having flown a Farman biplane at Cuatro Vientos aerodrome in 1911. 

During the event, the documentary Emilio Herrera, directed by Alberto Flechoso, was screened, offering an accessible insight into the engineer’s life. For Margarita Asuar, the film is a historical document created with rigour and sensitivity, allowing viewers to understand Spain’s history through the life of Emilio Herrera. 

Ensuring access for future generations 

The deposit at SHYCEA ensures that Emilio Herrera’s documents, notebooks, manuscripts and personal materials will remain part of Spain’s aeronautical heritage. 

The ENAIRE Foundation’s digitisation project will make this legacy available to researchers, specialists and the general public, promoting awareness of one of Spain’s most important figures in aeronautical engineering. 

Margarita Asuar emphasised that “at the ENAIRE Foundation, we believe it is essential to preserve and share the legacy of figures who have shaped the history of aeronautics. Digitising the archive will safeguard its conservation and make it accessible for future generations”. 

Fernando Martínez, Secretary of State for Democratic Memory, added: “Today we officially recognise the achievements of Emilio Herrera and Irene Aguilera. Their scientific contributions and commitment to democratic values are part of our collective memory”. 

The engineer’s great-granddaughter, Selena Herrera, said: “For our family, this recognition represents an important step in restoring the memory of our great-grandparents. It helps to preserve their legacy and put it in its rightful place”. 

Emilio Herrera, inventor de la Escafandra Estratonáutica (Fundación ENAIRE)

About ENAIRE Foundation 

Is a cultural institution of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility that, in addition to managing, preserving and exhibiting the ENAIRE Collection of Contemporary Art, engages in a comprehensive annual programme of activities that focus on aeronautical art and culture. Notably, it is one of the institutions that currently provides the most support to photography through its annual prizes - which have become a benchmark for professional photographers - and by hosting exhibits. 

It is the only foundation in Spain that combines the two seemingly disparate themes of art and aeronautical culture, bringing them together by undertaking a programme of activities that promote the study, research, knowledge and dissemination of aeronautical culture, integrating history and modernity to raise awareness of the world of aviation in our country. 

The Naves de Gamazo are the first permanent home of the ENAIRE Collection of Contemporary Art, an example of collaboration between government agencies that was made possible thanks to the partnership and joint efforts of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, the Government of Cantabria, through the Office for Culture, Tourism and Sport, and the Port Authority of Santander, which share the operating expenses of the centre in order to ensure the present and future viability of this cultural project. 

ENAIRE Foundation is implementing digital museum resources to boost the democratisation of art and make it accessible from anywhere in the world. These new museum resources are now available on the Foundation's website. 

About ENAIRE 

ENAIRE is the air navigation service provider in Spain. 

As a company of the Ministry of Sustainable Transport and Mobility, it provides air traffic control services during the en route and approach phases of all flights to and from Spain and overflights. In addition, it manages communications, navigation and surveillance services from ENAIRE in the airspace and the entire AENA airport network in Spain and provides aerodrome air traffic control services in 21 airports, including the busiest. 

ENAIRE is the fourth largest European air navigation service provider, and it is a member of international partnerships A6 Alliance, SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) Joint Undertaking, SESAR Deployment Manager, iTEC, CANSO (Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation) and collaborates closely with ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization). 

ENAIRE has received the highest score in Europe on the aviation safety key performance indicator for five years in a row. It has also been awarded the EFQM 600 Seal for its safe, efficient, innovative and sustainable management of air navigation services.