Despite the 25 million euros new runway installed at San Javier airport last year it seems the days of the airport are numbered as the regional government will close it to clear the way for the new airport at Corvera to flourish.
All the assurances of the regional government that the region would benefit from two airports and that regional tourism could support them both commercially appear to have been unfounded. All that remains for the imminent closure of San Javier is final agreement on the compensation payable to the airport authority Aena believed to be in the region of 70 million euros.
The new airport at Corvera is due to open next summer and it now seems likely the closure of San Javier will follow. Passenger numbers to the region have fallen by 3.5% in August and 5.2% in August and, if this trend continues, San Javier will start losing money.
San Javier has been steadily losing trade over the past three years despite a considerable investment in installations and a second runway. In 2008 1.876.255 passengers used the airport compared to more than two million the year before and in 2009 this number fell to 1.630.664 passengers.
