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Date Published: 26/10/2024

High court blocks plans to name Murcia airport after Juan de la Cierva

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The Region of Murcia government has been locked in battle with the central government in Spain over the airport’s name for 7 years now

High court blocks plans to name Murcia airport after Juan de la Cierva

The High Court of Justice of the Region of Murcia (TSJ) has ruled against naming the Region of Murcia International Airport after local aviator Juan de la Cierva. The court’s decision follows an appeal from the Spanish Ministry of Transport, which argued that the regional government had overstepped its authority in trying to make the change.

The dispute dates back to 2017, when the Regional Assembly of Murcia first proposed naming the airport after De la Cierva, a well-known local engineer who invented the autogyro.

However, Spain’s central government has consistently blocked this move, citing concerns over De la Cierva’s alleged involvement in the 1936 military coup that led to General Francisco Franco’s dictatorship.

In 2021, the Ministry of Transport, led by José Luis Ábalos of the PSOE, rejected the proposed name change. This decision was based on a report from the Secretary of State for Democratic Memory, which linked De la Cierva to the military uprising through his role in securing the ‘Dragon Rapide’ aircraft used by Franco. The report, prepared by historian Ángel Viñas, concluded that De la Cierva had been a key figure in the early stages of Franco’s rise to power.

Under Spain’s Law on Historical Memory, which seeks to acknowledge and make amends for injustices committed during the dictatorship, it is forbidden to glorify any aspect of the Franco regime.

Despite the central government’s objections, the regional government of Murcia, led by Fernando López Miras, moved forward with the name change in May 2022. The TSJ has now concluded that this decision was unlawful, stating that the regional government lacked the authority to make such a move without consulting the state.

The court’s ruling emphasised that, as the airport is classified as an infrastructure of “general interest”, decisions regarding its name fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the central government. Although the regional government argued that owning the airport gave them naming rights, the TSJ concluded that the Spanish Constitution grants the state overall control of nationally significant infrastructure.

In response to the ruling, the regional government of Murcia has vowed to keep fighting for the name change. They argue that the opposition is based on political bias rather than historical facts, criticising what they describe as the central government’s “sectarian ideology”.

Regional representatives also pointed out the inconsistency of the Spanish government, which has previously used De la Cierva’s name for prestigious scholarships while denying him recognition at the airport.

Murcia’s legal team is now considering whether to appeal the decision. Additionally, the regional Minister of Public Works, Jorge García Montoro, is seeking a meeting with the head of Aena, the state-owned company that manages Spanish airports, to push for more support in attracting flights and new destinations to the airport.

Regardless of whether the official name finally gets changed or not, it is likely that Murcia’s Airport will continue to be commonly known as Corvera Airport for its location near the district of Corvera.

Images: Wikimedia commons