The new airport at Corvera will be open for business next year, according to the Director of Installations at the site, but will San Javier airport, which is only 30k kilometres away, be able to survive the competition?
San Javier is currently at the point of opening a second runway which will facilitate night flights and is aimed at increasing the customer base. But the airport has been badly hit by Ryan Air’s decision to pull seven regular winter routes to the UK as well as the economic crisis and the effects of the volcanic ash. The consequences have been a dramatic drop in passenger numbers: down to 1,300,000 in 2010 compared to the previous year’s two million.
The new Corvera airport, which will have an underground station for direct access at the AVE, the fast speed train service, anticipates some 1.5 million passengers in the first year. It has a runway 3,000 metres long and 45 wide which can accommodate almost any type of aircraft compared to the 2,300 metre runway at San Javier. Apart from the international flights daily domestic flights are planned to Madrid and Barcelona.
The general assumption is that the majority of customers will come from San Javier despite its second runway. The Government Ministry spokesman is prepared to “let the market decide” the future of the two airports.
As the airport authorities at the new airport were busy negotiating contacts with “all the big budget airlines” there was good news today for all airlines as Aeromur announced a concession of up to 50% in airport taxes for all airlines transporting “millions of passengers to Spain.”
Good news for regional employment too as the Head of the regional Department of Education, Training and Employment signs an agreement with the airport authority Aeromur to secure guaranteed employment posts at the new airport for the 575 recruits who are currently undertaking a special training programme.
