Airport News

http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/ryanair-expresses-its-interest-in-spanish-aena-stake-30373330.html

Interesting one on the irish news today.. Ryanair might get Corvera up and running

Hmmm - it only says they are interested in buying a stake in Aena - not Corvera.

I really wouldn't hold your breath about anything happening there soon.

As I see it Aena own or run San Javier so if Ryanair buy the business or a share of it they would be part owners of both the San Javier and Alicante operation  Why would they want to move to another airport that competes with their existing portfolio?

i just cannot see how anyone can operate Corvera at a profit unless Aena walk away and why would they do that

Am confused.........

I agree, total confusion.

In the past it was rumoured he would take a stake in Corvera to spite Aena as he was having a disagreement over air bridges in Alicante but this would  severely restrict his efforts in Spain and would not offer a big enough market for his planes.

He wants mass market passengers.

Latest on Corvera is that Murcian officials are still trying to persuade Brussels that loans to the airport should be permitted.

Still no real market to bring in flights for Corvera, San Javier numbers have improved somewhat but loads of capacity here as well as Alicante.

I didn't think Aena actually owned the airports directly - I just thought they were the state-run management company.
As far as I can see they are similar in many respects to the CAA in the uk in that they also operate air traffic control. But they also seem to do a lot more besides and were responsible for the millions of euros investment at San Javier to make it into a better passenger airport. (Mind you, I prefered the old airport - never any queues, hardly any delays, and a cool passenger hall as opposed to the inefficient aircon in the new one . . . etc etc)

Wiki reckons they do own and run the airports (but don't believe everything on there), although their own website says:
The Aena Group is a group of companies devoted to airport management and the provision of air navigation services.
Through Aena Aeropuertos S.A. (100% of company equity is owned by Aena) it manages 46 airports and 2 heliports in Spain and participates directly and indirectly in the management of 15 more airports around the world. It is the world's leading airport operator in terms of passenger numbers, handling more than 200 million.

The row about Corvera as far as I can see it is that Aena want compensation for all the money spent at San Javier if it is closed down. Corvera is privately owned not state run athough Aena would have to provide the ATC. And of course Aena has to grant the license for operations at Corevera and as it was build privately with nary a thought as to what effect it would have on the other 3 airports all within and hours drive that really hacked off Aena. So no operating license, therefore no flights.

Although some poor soul has recently promised it will be open in 2014 as it is ready for flights now. I had a good laugh at that - have you seen the cracks in the runway? And that fact that it doesn't QUITE point in the right direction?

Regarding Ryanair, being the cynical old fogey that I am, I reckon Mr O'Leary wants a stake in Aena for Ryanair so that they can make his own rules in Spain and not be forced to do what Aena wants them to e.g. use airbridges at airports as that slows their turn-round time down and therefore costs them money. They are still arguing at Alicante about this and have walked away from a number of airports because they couldn't get their own way (eg Newquay and Norwich to name 2 in the UK and a couple in Spain too).

They now want a stake in Aena as they couldn't get one in Corvera.

As I said, I'm a cynical old fogey.

Very interesting little post (26/07) from Roy Howitt of InspectahomeSpain on the Corvera forum that (a) the money has been agreed from Europe, and (b) the airport will open in December.

Anyone else heard/can confirm this?

I've heard this story many times, 

San Javier can't close its airport before the end of 2016, there is even a plan to keep both airports open till the end of 2016, it seems very strange that new shops are opening in the San Javier airport when they are supposed to close in 2 years time...

but this is Spain, anything can happen if you have the patience to wait

Thanks but this appears to be very recent news, so l'm prepared to approach the subject with an open mind.

So without harping on about what we've ALL heard before, can anyone confirm what Roy has said?

Pommers/Hughman - you normally have your sources - anything?

Not heard anything - I'll go scouring the local news tomorrow.

Post on Murcia today on 16th

http://murciatoday.com/murcia-government-plans-for-2014-corvera-opening_22006-a.html#.U9aWBLFpcuU

The government is still aiming for a December opening at Corvera
Despite EU approval not having been given for the loan to Aeromur which the regional government hopes would finally allow the new international airport at Corvera to open, the government is already working on a timeline and route map which would make it possible for the opening ceremony to take place before the end of this year.

So this is maybe where Roy is getting it from.

Nothing else that I can find anywhere else.

Roy is getting it intally form his opwn sources at the aurport but also now form the public domain because it has formally been announced in the public press and on Tumbit that the EU have granted the loan with some conditions

http://www.tumbit.com/news/articles/9265-ec-approves-murcias-corvera-loan-with-conditions.html

One condition is around the closure of San Javier however I believe that there is a lenghty period for this to happen and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise that an independant airport may not be held to the landing rates controlled by AENA

The news has also been published in the Spanish press and been on the spanish news channels

As with many things in Spain this is a political hot potato with the ministers insisting that the airport opens so that they cam start staffing but it is unlikely that there will be any flights this year and likely that the first flights may not be from Europe as after all this is an INTERNATIONAL airport

As I  said before I have my own sources that are much closure to the airport than the press manage to oobtain and there are lots of things that I will not discuss on a public forum

I have also explained that over the years I have had a number of  airlines visit Corvera to look for accomodation for staff

Hmm...and this is all going to happen in 4-5 months is it?  Like so many others I remain unconvinced.

Roy, let me ask you this - would you put money on it? 

No, me neither!

No in Spain with the red tape I would not put money on anything but I think that we are closer now than we have ever been with the loan now agreed

Many of the banks on Corvera are now holding off releasing the propertues that they have taken back till they havd news on the airport

Hi, It appears that most people on this discussion are looking for confirmation from another source other than just Roy, well I am able to confirm that I too have received information from within Aeromur (not the same individual as Roy's contact) who has informed me that the loan has been agreed and that they are waiting for the paperwork to be completed before taking any further steps. I have now received tentative enquiries for accomodation on Corvera subject to this paperwork being concluded. This is confirmation from 2 different and credible internal sources.

The individual concerned who was involved at an extremely high level within the airport has alway told me that from the day the government says yes to open the airport it would take 6 months to get it up and running with flights. I don't at present see any reason why these timescales should change especially as Aeromur have been absent from the airport for so long and they will obviously need to carry out most of the work they did previously again. (hence the 4-5 months Bradders).

I share everyone else's cynicism having followed this saga over the years but the granting or not of the loan is an important turning point in the future of the airport and a massive step forward, the rental enquiries I have received are looking towards a start date of September and as such I should have further confirmation at the beggining of August.

Hope this helps.

Thak you Tom I know that you also have good sources for information and the indication of dates that I have received for flights, based on agreement of final paperwork, is April 2015 but a build up of staff from October 2014, initally opertional people to sort out the logistics and some of the final fixings

What was interesting was the positioning of new securiy at the start of the runway, 3-4 weeks ago

The other key development, 3-4 weeks ago, was the military clearance for the airspace

Of course, we all believe everything, managing and estate agents tell us, to persuade us to buy.

after all we did in 2006/7.

In my case I ALWAYS try to pass on current information and I will benfit from airport rentals but nobody here is trying to push sales or futures so not sure why the comments needs making

Also I have never made any promises to buyers made on the airport or Paramount

Despite trawling the internet this morning, I can find no reference to the loan being approved and Corvera opening this year - except that one article on Tumbit.

I think most people in the Los Alcazares viciinity are hoping it never will so that San Javier will remain opening to commercial passengers. It's a fantastic little airport and it's closure will certainly hit the Mar Menor region hard.

I think this has been a really useful dialogue, and certainly Roy & Tom's own local information has given us an insight into what might happen in the short/medium term.

It would be unrealistic to expect any Agent to be too open about problems at their chosen locations - l can't recall for example either of them starting a thread about Corvera's golf course being closed until someone asked - but the airport issue affects the whole region, so their posts are really interesting.

Pommers is right though about the possible effects of San Javier closing - this could decimate business in the locale, with no guarantee that Corvera would even succeed!

"flights may not be from europe as its an INTERNATIONAL airport "  its hard to think that there would be enough international flights coming into murcia to justify the costs associated with running an airport ... also apparantly two high ranking people are leaking what would presumably be confidential information to local estate and letting agents .. forgive my cynicism  but  wouldent FACTS  be better .... but dont forget paramount is opening 2015 as well so maybe there will be a joint opening ceremony !