ARCHIVED - Murcia government plans for 2014 Corvera opening

The government is still aiming for a December opening at Corvera

Despite EU approval not having been given for the loan to Aeromur which the regional government hopes would finally allow the new international airport at Corvera to open, the government is already working on a timeline and route map which would make it possible for the opening ceremony to take place before the end of this year.

The government’s plan is for the entire amount loaned to be recovered between now and 2051 at an interest rate of 4.87%, and so confident is the administration in a favourable EU decision that procedures have already been instigated to ensure that the airport, the control tower and the CNS (Communication, Navigation and Surveillance) security system are fully certified as soon as possible, according to a government press release.
At the same time, the press release goes on, plans are being drawn up to promote the airport in the international market, enabling tourists and other visitors from all over Europe to travel to Murcia easily and affordably. and efforts are being made to ensure that the Corvera terminal is made as attractive as possible to the 150 airlines which operate in European airspace.

The government continues to maintain that the new airport is crucial to the economic development of the Region, particularly the tourist sector, and points to its own forecasts of passenger numbers as evidence. Among these predictions are a total of over 6 million passengers per year, and the resulting economic benefits in terms of GDP, employment and government taxation revenue contained in a recent report produced by Deloitte for the Chamber of Commerce.

This optimism is backed up to a certain extent by recent data produced by the national Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism in the Frontur report, which shows that there were 60% more foreign visitors to Murcia in May than in the same month last year, but alongside this it has to be remembered that the Region of Murcia still accounts for substantially less than 2% of all foreign visitors to Spain. If six million foreigners are to visit the Region, this percentage will have to rise enormously.
Image : The airport has been completed and ready to open for well over 2 years. This image of the passenger terminal was taken in August 2011. Copyright Murcia Today.