If you want an Airport we got three to spare

In the 60’s Peter McGovern penned a song called ‘In my Liverpool Home’ with the line – ‘if you want a cathedral we got one to spare’. Well, Spain had beaten that with 3 airports to spare!

The first is Castellon which is about 70km north of Valencia and only cost the government e150million. Problem is that the runways were built too narrow so it can’t be used, even though the Spanish government have spent another e30 million promoting a closed airport! All the runways need ripping up and re-installing to global aviation standards before it can be used. The company who secured the license from the government are seeking e80million compensation. Castellon is small beer compared to Cuidad Real!

The second airport that is ‘spare’ is Cuidad Real approximately 2hrs south of Madrid which cost in excess of e1 billion, it closed after a few months of operations as nobody used it. It is going to auction in the New Year with a reserve of e100m – but we are told, if it doesn’t reach the e100m reserve, the reserve will drop to 80 million and in typical style of the clueless in charge......... down to 60million if there is still no interest!!!!

Oh yes I almost forgot, whoever buys this white elephant will also have to pay off an existing 529million euro loan.

The third is Corvera.  This is another new airport yet to open its doors despite being completed almost two years ago due to another cock-up by the authorities. Corvera was built at the cost of e200m to replace San Javier (Murcia) Airport 20km away, but the operators of Javier refuse to close it unless they can settle compensation with the government – meanwhile the operators of Corvera have gone bust claiming that the delays are to blame. So here we have one airport that may or may not open and one 20km away that may close....or not.

The Murcia government thought they had the answer as San Javier is both a military and civil airfield when they suggested that the Spanish Air Force should buy it, so they could then pay the compensation to the operator and then open Corvera. Problem is the Air Force hasn’t got any money to pay for it!Is it any wonder Spain has massive money problems and a 26% unemployment level?

on the third attempt at auction tere will be no reserve, in other words it would be sold to the highest bidder however low the bid is. this is normal when property goes to auction because of liquidation.

Agreed Andy - But you don't tell would-be bidders that do you? If you wanted to buy Cuidad Real would you go in at 100k knowing that you could probably get it for 40 million less? Besides no matter what the agreed selling price is there's still small matter of the e529million loan to pay off that comes with the deal!

Yes with the large debt against the airport I would be surprised if there are any bids at all!!

In a way I feel sad for the Spanish people as they'll normally end up paying for the absurd wastage one way or other.  But they don't see to react to these situations - there would be hell to pay if this happened in the UK.

Is this simply the downside for instant decisions being made and acted upon without our decades of public debate and appeal that we expect?

It is really weird Acer how the public put up with the antics of the government. Spain has the most airports out of all the EU countries and out of 48 state controlled airports only 11 make profits with 30 of them having less that 100,000 passengers a year using them.

Here is the latest on the Castellon cock-up:

Salaries for staff at the airport that has never opened is e390,000.00 p/a
The first contract to sort out the runways was awarded this week for 653,000.00 euro
The government propose to open the airport in 2014 underwriting the loss of e2.5million for 5 years.
They had a falcon & cat contract which has been terminated as the operators of the service have been charged with smuggling protected wildlife into Spain -this service has cost 90k per annum and has been paid for 2 years.
The chairman of the Castellon Airport project, Carlos Fabra has just been imprisoned for 4 years and fined 1.3m euro for fraud and corruption.
The 3.5 million euro required to install IT equipment and test systems will be made available in the first quarter of 2014.

Predictions are that it will only remain open for 2 years at best as the area is already served by airports in Alicante, Barcelona and Tarragon (Reus). The high speed AVE train also runs from Madrid to Valencia so offers Madrid International as  option

Doesent really matter but makes a great location for TOPGEAR 

YEHHHHHHHHHHHH

Yeah you are right Hugh, I suppose the few quid Jezza and Co paid to play there for a few hours made the powers that be feel a little better!