corvera airport

it's the fastest route that counts though isn't it. Much quicker on the AP7 than the A roads. I would say La Zenia is 25 minutes from St. Javier and about 50 minutes from Alicante

Don't know a lot about Almeria but everything on the Mar Menor is nearer to St. Javier than Corvera

why would flights to Corvera be cheaper than alicante........you've lost me there !

The routes from Corvera to La Zenia are all A roads, a new 3 lane motorway from the airport joint the 3312, onto the AP7 and off at the junction at La Zenia, 1 toll to pay, so actually the fastest route is Corvera

From Alicante if you use the motorway, quickest route, same junction, 2 tolls, locals tend to miss the tolls using a longer route throug San Miguel or use the N332 and suffer the traffic

Yes San Javier is closer, no dispute, motorway route one toll, sam,e junction as Corvera route

What people seem to have an attitude to is that the whole world for holdays etc revolves arounf the Mar Menor,

The Polaris Resorts and areas like Mazzaron and Almeria have thousands of holidays homes and potential passengers and properties in these areas are still selling

Now Alicante is convient for the Playa Flamenca, Torrevieja etc but there are no flights in the Autumn and Winter to service the area around San Javier

As last AENA have admitted that the promotion on Sna Javier has been neglected, AENA's own website shows the lasrge diffrencies in subsidencies offered to airlines that fly into Alicante and the same article states how they are looking at creating new incentives to fly into Murcia, perhaps to increase the 2 flights per day

There will still be no easy way to close San Javier, with campaigns such as this ongoing.

Note to forward to your friends:

Hi!

I just signed the petition "Gobierno de la Región de Murcia: No al cierre del Aeropuerto de Murcia-San Javier en beneficio del aeropuerto privado de Corvera // Murcia goverment, do not close Murcia-San Javier airport to benefit Corvera private airport." on Change.org.

It's important. Will you sign it too? Here's the link:

http://www.change.org/p/gobierno-de-la-región-de-murcia-no-al-cierre-del-aeropuerto-de-murcia-san-javier-en-beneficio-del-aeropuerto-privado-de-corvera-murcia-goverment-do-not-close-murcia-san-javier-airport-to-benefit-corvera-private-airport?recruiter=197912866&utm_campaign=signature_receipt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition
 

I am sorry but having lived in Spain so long, I know that a campaign by the public really won't change the decisions of government or big business like AENA,, especially as they have now announced the agreement with government to clos the airport and move flights, based on Corvera as it looks like they will be the operator

What you have to realise is that Corvera  will NO LONGER be a private facility under this plan

To date I believe that from all of the areas and people serviced by this small provincal airport, currently operating 2 flighst per day, that 2000 people have signed the petition

This message was last edited by inspectahomespain on 25/01/2015.

Almeria already have their own airport why would they use Corvera.

I disagree entirely that Corvera is nearer (in time) to La Zenia than Alicante. That's just nonsense.

Most of the air traffic coming onto St.Javier is going to the Mar Menor

Now, I would rather keep San Javier - but unfortunately Almeria airport is pretty useless for most people in the UK.  Limited flights summer only from Manchester, and flights from Stansted (I think), plus maybe East Midlands.   I would LOVE to see Almeria become a real option, I just LOVE the drive up through that fantastic desert landscape, but I have not heard that anything is going to change.

I started this post to make people aware that last week AENA and the government made some significant announcements about their bid to operate Covera and close San Javier, unfortunatley the thread has gone down the normal route

This would dramatically change the statues of the airport, going from private to state owned, would mean that the main argument of staff with employment contracts and not giving business to a PRIVATE airport could go away

As it has been said in many posts previoulsy if there is 10 minutes difference in the travelling time it really doesn't matter, people will fly based on a decision on PRICE and availability and even those people in the Mar Menor that say would not use Corvera I believe would vote on price, especially when it would be so much cheaper getting to the Mar Menor from Corvera, compared to Alicante

In December this year traffc into San Javier was down 82% on the same period in 2007, only 18k people used the airport, while the number continue to grow and strangely enough Almeria was 71% down on the same period, in fact it is reported that in 2015 over 600,000 people who visited the region flew into other airports, rather than San Javier, a large percentage in Winter and Spring

Everybody that has a property in this region should be writing to AENA complaining about the lack of flights not signing petitions to keep open an airport where there are NO FLIGHTS for half of the year and perhaps suggest that AENA should stop shouting about the increase of passengers into Alicante

Everybody that has a holiday rental in this area should be writing to AENA complaining, because renters will look at a combination of the flight and accomodation costs, if they can fly more cheaply into Alicante and stay in the Torrevieja area that is what they will do, not travel to the Mar Menor

People make statements about where people are going when they fly into San Javier but there is no real data

I return to the UK on a regular basis and would love to fly from San Javier to London but for 6 months of the year there are no flights 

The facts are however that people are returning to the area and buying properties again, throughout the region of Murcia, and Almeria, not just around the Mar Menor and either things have to change at San Javier or Corvera open with a proper flight schedule, incentives and a marketing plan foor the area

I return to the UK on a regular basis and would love to fly from San Javier to London but for 6 months of the year there are no flights"

Sorry Roy but London to San Javier for 6 months is NOT the problem, there are flights from Gatwick and Stansted. the problem is the regional UK airports where the airlines have decided to either switch flights to Alicante or use planes on alternative routes such as skiing holidays.

Airlines need holiday makers, sadly not home owners as we do not supply them with enough demand, the figures in San Javier and Almeria proove this.

in Murcia and especially around the coast 60% of tourists still come Madrid and they can fly and drive or train.

of course we accept you have merely posted what politicians are proposing re the airports, sadly, politicians have been promising Corvera airport, Paramount and El Gorguel as well as Portman development for years now but 

1. There is not enough demand

2. There is no outside injection of capital

yes Corvera may well open in the future but will continue to run as a loss making venture at a time AENA are supposed to be seeking privatisation.

we are arguing the need and the funding for Corvera NOT trying to defend San Javier, which could cope perfectly well with increased traffic as it did 5/6 years ago.

Corvera was yet another folly, massaging a number of political egos as was Castellon, Ciudad Real, and numerous other white elephants built by regional governments.

Sorry Hugh but I want to fly to London Stansted and it is a problem when there a flight every other day, for example I need to fly the middle of February and return 3 days later for business, again no flights so I am forced to use Alicante, so yes it is a problem

Same for Gatwick, nothing to Luton which is my other option

As I have said before, and you can check this by looking at the incentives section on the AENA websit, they give the airlines more money in rebates if they fly into Alicante, this is why they switch and we know from feedback people complain that they have no choice, they have to use Alicante

This year visitirs numbers were dramatically down to this area, real feedback, people did not coome because there were no flights into Sa Javier

Again the real published statistics publisshed by Murcia Tiday claim that the largest percentage of visitors to the area are from the UK, not Spain

The public offering of the AENA shares dates are already agreed, it is happening and they seem to have deep pockets and I was shocked to see that passenger number into Almeria in 2014 were 700k, up 4% on last year and San Javier is one of the only airports in Spain in decline

Surely people can see what is happening here with Alicante, scale it up and maximise profits while you run down San Javier

What people are actually saying, of you read the comments on the petition site, is that they want to keep their nice little friendly local airport, where their journey is 10 minutes up the road with most comments from the Mar Menor area.

Yes San Javier can handle the traffic but only if AENA are willing to support it but while they can profit from Alicante why wold they bother

 The toursim map for the area is much larger than this, surely 600k passengers had to go somewhere, if there had been flights into San Javier people would have used them but the airlines, like AENA want maximum profits

Hugh the article that you have published was written before the most recent news and announcement by AENA and the government that on Saturday an agreement was made for AENA to bid for Corvera and close San Javier in an agreed timescale

Politician speak, I would hazard a guess as I stated previously re all they promised the region.

The article just highlights the complications that are still there, from landowners compensation, Regional government funding, litigation from Aeromur, costs of improvements to San Javier.

Roy, these details will not just disappear because a politician pontificates.

If Aena wanted to run down San Javier why spend money on second runway and other facilities whilst Corvera was being planned

Sorry, but again you are incorrect, Murcia Today, state the largest percentage of foreign tourists I.e 55% come from the UK. NOT that the largest number of tourists are from UK.

The Madrid trade still makes up the highest percentage according to local sources.

PS airlines don't want trade like you flying back and forth in 3 days, they want the weekly of fortnightly tourists who travel with luggage, where do they go? Not generally Mar Menor.

Corvera Golf has closed, as has Mosa, Cathargo never got started so the trade remains the La Manga Club business plus the rest of us home owners around the remaining golf resorts and coastal urbanisations, many of whom can fly to Alicante if they rent a car whilst here a few weeks a year, especially if as you say the airlines are incentivised to fly there as they were to San Javier many years ago.

Sorry Hughman is your interest in San Javier 

only because you are an owner on Rodagolf?

There are a lot of people who prefer flying to

San Javier than Alicante but as Inspectahomes

says there is not a choice now ! And why ? 

Yes again it is due to the bribes offered to airlines

to fly cheaper into the 'New Terminal ' at Alicante,

Yes of course it is all political, but I believe that with

the military wanting San Javier solely for there own use

then the petition you have signed is a waste of time, 

The decision by the military was taken years ago but

with the property boom came a big need for San Javier 

to be open for commercial flights, once that bubble burst

They weren't bothered about holiday owners/visitors to the

Murcia region, so we have little choice now but to use Alicante

Corvera was an afterthought by rich businessmen who were to

blind to see the property boom going bust and thought they would

get richer with a private airport !!! This latest news by AENA is good news 

for those of us who would prefer a more regional airport and who

dont want the long journey from Alicante, a real choice!!

So let's get behind a campaign to get Corvera opened

Asap so their is then a choice of where we fly to and dont

have to put up with a long journey from Alicante, oh of course 

sorry we don't all live in Rodagolf.

Does it matter who flies where and when? The facts are simple - there are multi millions of € to be found to pay different parties as a result of the incompetent manner in which this saga has been conducted. The figures are huge and no doubt the taxpayer will have to foot the bill as usual.

If Almeria and St Javier could be closed and 100% of the passengers forced to use Corvera -  that would account for less than 1.7million passengers p/a, a massive shortfall to become a viable operation. Still nobody can tell me where the other 3-4million passengers that are needed to support Corvera are going to be conjured up from!

Roy, talking the job up will not alter the fact that the geographic location of Corvera airport is remote with the only access from the RM16/17 all the surrounding roads are country lanes or poorly maintained metalled roads and the thought of holiday makers with heavy baggage having to rely solely on a local bus to get to the coast is rather odd. I hope it does open, as I would be one beneficiary but I don't wear rose tinted specs or view the whole cock-up as an important source of business.

There has, as usual, been a lot of posturing on here about the opening of Corvera airport. There are some undeniable FACTS that have been quoted in the press that seem to have been forgotten. Lets start at the beginning:-

The land that has been used by the builders has not been paid for, yet. The landowners are demanding €6.81 per metre now PLUS interest. Until this is settled then, in law, the original landowners still own the land as the original contract has not been fulfilled and probably the contract can now be recinded.  Cost to new concessionary                 circa €25 million

The owners of Corvera Airport still remain the same as all that is up for grabs is the concession to run an airport for about 25 years. The structure still remains after whoever runs the airport has left in 25 years time. Ron, how can you call this state owned IF  AENA are granted the concession? It still remains a PRIVATE airport with AENA running it!

The incoming concessionaire will have to pay back the 'loan' from the Region of Murcia which in round figures is €200 million. They will also have to pay for the legal costs of fighting Aeromur. If the new concessionary is not AENA then there is another €50million to €80 million to pay.

As far as airlines using Corvera, the ONLY way they will be able to attract them is to have fees far less than Alicante and maybe MJV. With the front end charges as listed above plus others how can the new concessionary compete and make a profit? As stated earlier airlines do not care where they fly so long as they can fill their planes. The likes of Ryanair, easyJet et al could not care less if the airport is convienient for its passengers or not. It just needs to make a profit on the route. So once again we come back to how can the new airport compete on price.

The one and only new and interesting concept is to make Corvera a freight only airport which will attract the 'local' businesses who can export and import their goods. This will then easily be able to take business from Alicante as it will be a dedicated airport and not have to give priority to passenger flights which need far more personnel and all the other things concerned with flying the great unwashed.

So to sum up briefly the incoming concessionary will have to stump up at least €250 million to €300 million before he starts. Do you know anyone who is willing to do this??? Aena have only said that they are interested and no figure has been agreed so to quote the old saying "there is many a slip twitx cup and lip".

The whole situation with Corvera is changing fast with the joint goverment and AENA announcments and the sudden interest of AENA to promote the region again, perhaps there is pressure from elsewhere, especially if you add the comments about the lack of promotion for the region

Woodbug not sure if you have ever visited Corvera as roads as the main access route for the airport is a new  have built are 3 new, 3 lane,  access routes joining onto the A30 and  AP7. They have also improved the MU601 to the rear gate of the airport, again new roads and 4 Km from the rear gate of Corvera Airport  to the A30 junction, the route onto Mazarron, Almeria and Cartagena

Perhaps as these roads are completed but not open that they are not yet on the maps but happy to post phiotographs if people need them

Perhaps steone the goverment will step in to support the region at last as they used to, especially with the incease again in property sales, Murcia isn't just about the coast around the Mar Menor

If AENA are running it how can it be claimed to be a PRIVATE airport it will benefit directly from state aid

Nobody asks how much money San Javier are loosing with their declining numbers, around 1m in 2014, they cannot be making money

Hugh I  think that I am an ideal customer, frequent flier, I take luggage and book my seats and use priority boarding

Sox you are bang on with the comments regarding the use by the military, especially when I understand ATC is still managed by the military, local people know that this has always been the agenda, they were even flying Euro Fighters into the airport last week, really noisy

As I said before what people should be doing is complaining to AENA about their neglect to promote San Javier and greed to develop Alicante, with special incentives for airlines, if there was a decent volume of Autumn and Winter flights people wouldn't be having this debate, interesting comments today about the lack of Irish flights on Murcia Today

I've visited the site. Those access roads go onto the A30 and it's quite a way before it reaches the AP7 and it does so south of the populated region of Mar Menor

There are few roads running East to West and those that are have deep ditches to the sides in places and are not up to standard.

Maybe if you're a business looking for opportunity like an estate agent, a long term car parking company or live in the outer reaches of La Tercia or even the Condado, I can understand why you wish Corvera to happen, but because you wish it doesn't make it so.

and the last thing the government needs is to pour money into subsidising Aena for an airport that will not see the passenger numbers to make it viable this decade

John hands up, you have sussed me out but perhaps my signature on my posts and previous declarations caught me out. I WILL benefit from the openning of the airport because I live in Corvera and have a property management and rental business in Corvera, which is why I actually know what the roads and use them daily

I talk to other rental organisations and we are all suffering because of the lack of flights into the region, not Corvera, San Javier and any flights would be good, especially flights from Ireland and the North of England because rentals over Christmas from my owners were 70% down on last year, Murcia Today have said before that people look to stay within the area of the arrival airport

Now moving on to the ACTUAL road system, the current route to the airport is in the South from the 3319/A30 the MU601 a twisting country lane, in good order, which goes through the village of Corvera, from the North A30 around 5Km

The ACTUAL route into the airport, which is built and not yet open, is a 3 lane motorway that joins the A30, which is a 3 lane motoway which joins the A7, AP7, E15, the toll roads to Almeria and the RM1 and RM2 road to Mazarron

You can drive from the airport to Murcia, La Zenia, Mar Menor or Mazarron totally on 2 -3 lane roads where the spped limits are between 120Km and 100Km and very little traffic or jams

Often people travelling from Alicante to the Torrevieja area often use the N332, it can take longer but it avoids the tolls on the motorway but the 332 is not a motorway and actually known to be the most dangerous road in Spain for accidents

Murciatoday do make a very good point in the article pubkished yesterday, with the announcement by AENA we have been here before, back in 2011 when nothing happened

Whilst we are in the habit of quoting press reports, possibly a dangerous pastime, IF we do not indeed comment that it has all been said before.

I note the latest Costa Calida Leader/Informer suggests that in light of AENA s upcoming 28% partial privatisation that they have had to warn potential investors that the government could remove their permission to operate San Javier which they quote as earning 12.4 mill euros in 2014.

This document sent to National Committee of Market Values mentions the risks affecting stock market value, associated with the introduction of a high speed train system in the region which could create competition for journeys of less than 3 hours.

(They obviously consider the Madrid trade into San Javier as a priority)( They do not discuss Corvera as currently it is not under their control, but is high speed train planned for Corvera also?)

They go on to suggest high speed trains could be operating from 2016, thus warning potential investors that share prices could be affected IF San Javier were to close.

The article also goes on to say that the current income generated at San Javier does not cover the loan repayments which were made to build a second runway etc.

The whole point to this, is not individual preference as to which airport is the most useful to us, whether we live in Corvera, Roda or anywhere in the region.

It is the sad unnecessary waste of taxpayers money that the Spanish government and/ or the Regions continue to abuse as everyone wants their slice of the action and their own White Elephant without a thought for sensible business practice.

Is this not precisely why the PIGS economies of Europe got themselves in the current mess?

Carry on borrowing as someone else will pay.

Thank you Hugh and this is a great post and I did not even consider the impact of the high speed rail link on Spanish travel, I have used the routes to Barcelona andMadrid from Alicante and they are brillant, fast  clean and cheap with the benefit that you arruve in the centre of the City

I also knew that the income did not finance the debt for the additional runway which is coming up to a crutical date for a payment by AENA

I go back to the original point made that all the area really needs is an airport that is being actively promoted that has a decent level of flights, all year and where airlines get the SAME level of incentives to use

Today I have heard from 2 owners of properties here, one on Scotland and one in Northern Ireland who woudl love a quick break but will not pay €190 one way to fly into Alicante from Belfast and the first flights to San Javier are on the 2nd April

Is it sensible business practice not to offe flights, for the 600k passengers, who came to this area last year and had to fly to other airports, when they could have used San Javier