ARCHIVED - President Valcárcel says San Javier will close when Corvera airport opens

Corvera International Airport, Murcia

Last night the President of the Region, Ramón Luis Valcárcel,  visited the construction works of the new International Airport of Corvera, accompanied by the President of Sacyr Vallehermosa, Luis del Rivero, the Mayor of Murcia, the Mayoress of Fuente Álamo and representatives from Aeromur.

And dropped a bit of a bombshell.

On Friday the second runway at San Javier airport was finally inaugurated and opened, offering a solution to the lack of flight time available to commercial operators and expressing Central Government´s (PSOE) commitment to developing tourism within Spain.

 Due to the military use of the airport, operators have never been able to operate the site on a truly commercial basis.

San Javier  has suffered heavy losses in volumes of traffic throughout the last few months, due to a combination of factors, namely Ryanair , who are the largest operator in the airport withdrawing seven of its winter flight routes following a disagreement with Regional Government (PP) over subsidised flights and reconcentrating its efforts into increasing flights to Alicante, the economic downturn both here in Spain and in the UK, and the investment into promotion of Alicante as a flight destination.

The inauguration of Alicante´s second terminal last week has also added to the threat of passenger transfer.

In reality, San Javier has suffered a decline averaging 50% of its passengers during the last 3 months.

The paucity of flights to San Javier was sharply highlighted by the fact that the inaugurating government party from Madrid on Friday were forced to fly into Alicante airport and then drive down into Murcia from Alicante as there were no flights scheduled to land in the Region before the official inauguration time at 1pm, although the dignitaries were able to return on a scheduled evening flight back to Madrid from San Javier.

At the inauguration the Minister for Transport emphasised the commitment of the Government to San Javier and stated unequivocally that there was no question of it closing down when the new International Airport at Corvera opened, stating that although the two airports would be obliged to compete that "infrastructure creates demand and an increase in infrastructure generates an increase in demand."

The message was clear, the government runs San Javier, which is operated as a profitable airport by Aena and there is no question of  closing it down to make way for a privately operated regional airport, the message stark in the promotional boards visible for the event and the official press releases sent, calling it Murcia Airport, San Javier. 

At last nights official inspection visit, President Valcárcel shocked journalists by announcing that the Regional government was on the point of closing an accord with airport operator Aena to close San Javier to civilian traffic, hand it back to the military, and transfer personnel and equipment to Corvera, a direct contradiction of what we had been told by the National Government just a few days ago. 

Last night the Government Delegate to the Region of Murcia, González Tovar, responded that the Government had no intention of closing San Javier down.

He said that he had been in telephone contact with the Secretaryof State for transport,  Isaías Taboas, and the president of Aena, Juan Ignacio Lema, both of whom had been present at the Friday inauguration of San Javier, and that the "Ministry denied the statement of President Valcárcel most wholeheartedly."

He affirmed that during the inauguration at San Javier on Friday that the Regional Consejero for public works, José Ballesta, and the Regional deputy and development spokesperson in congress for the PP, Andrés Ayala, had made an offer to the Secretary of State and President of Aena for Aena to transfer its operations to Corvera , but insisted that no response had yet been made to the offer. 

González Tovar said to a spanish journalist that what the Regional government were now proposing was a complicated theme and would require a lot of work to bring such a suggestion to fruition, as the 85 Aena employees at San Javier are state employees and even to transfer their employment to a private contractor would be a vastly complicated operation. 

The Government intended to work towards a solution of co-existence and compatibility. 

The spanish press this morning are of the opinion that this is all very much a question of electoral manoeuvring.

As of the 28th, no activities are permitted which could be deemed as "propaganda" such as the flush of inaugurations we have witnessed recently, the San Javier inauguration hastily completed , and the visit to Corvera by a leading political figure, both taking place before the 28th, which is the last permitted day for any such activity before the elections in May. 

President Valcárcel did criticise the inauguration at San Javier, saying that it was a "superfluous cost, " and lamented that it had taken so long to inaugurate this second runway and that it had taken ten years to give the airport the facilities it needed. 

The new Corvera International Airport is progressing to schedule. The Control Tower is structurally complete, has its windows fitted and is currently in the phase of having services, plumbing and electric trunking installed

The main terminal building is in the same phase, with plumbing, air conditioning and electrical trunking installations visibly underway, windows fitted and main structural elements all installed.

The asphalting is nearly concluded in the aircraft transit zone, and vast quantities of hardcore are being shipped in as work continues on the runway and taxi-ing zones.

External landscaping is underway, moving earth to create hard landscaping features.

It is hoped to conclude the structural works by the end of the year with the intention of opening the airport to the first flights in time for Semana Santa next year.

The region are in communication with various bodies reference the operation of the airport and carriers who are interested in operating from the airport, specific mention being made of Air Berlin who have received an advertising incentive to help them promote flights to the region within the German market.

As the UK market is the most important emissor of tourists to Spain, providing over 18 million tourists last year alone, it is to be hoped from the businesses point of view that the carriers who have supported the Region by plugging the gap when Ryanair pulled their flights will also be assisted in their efforts to promote the Region of Murcia as a tourist destination within the UK and that tourist numbers return to their previous, good for local business, levels. 

Whilst there is undoubtedly a good deal more political squabbling to come over the next few months, ourselves, the users, can all look forward to improved facilities, more flights and excellent services, with three airports to choose from, all within a 70km radius of each other.

What a luxury!

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