The fate of abandoned airports in Spain: why they are in neglected condition

Spain is one of the most popular vacation destinations, attracting millions of tourists from different places every year.

However, there are abandoned airports in the country that are almost non-functional. Express explores why these important travel centers face such a fate.

Castellón Costa Azar

Castellon-Costa Azahar Airport is situated in the small town of Vilanova d'Alcolea, part of the Valencia community, with a population of approximately 550 people.

Initial problems with this airport emerged when it opened in March 2011. Despite airlines not having signed landing agreements and lacking governmental authorization for operation, local authorities declared it open.

At its launch, this airport cost about 150 million euros, and Carlos Fabra, who headed the local government at the time, noted that, while some might think they were crazy for opening an airport without airplanes, it would allow citizens to visit the terminal and explore the landing strips.

The first flight departed from this airport on January 14, 2014, transporting the Villarreal football team to a Spanish Cup match in San Sebastian.

Only in September 2015 did the airport commence regular flights, with Ryanair launching seasonal flights from Castellón Costa Azahar to Bristol and London Stansted.

Despite low usage in previous years, the airport has recently been active in planning new routes and retaining aircraft, including six Boeing 737s from Eastern European International Airlines.

Ciudad Real

This airport is located near the city of Ciudad Real in central Spain, with a population of over 74,000 inhabitants. Built in 2008 for €1.1 billion (£940 million).

Launched in 2009, the airport aimed to divert excess traffic from Madrid's Barajas Airport, despite being more than 150 miles south of the Spanish capital.

For only three years after opening, it served flights only for Ryanair and Vueling. In April 2012, it was closed due to the bankruptcy of the previous management company.

For a long time, the airport was practically forgotten, but it only started functioning again in September 2019, although it did not have regular passenger flights at that time.

Although its original plans were to serve 10 million passengers annually, Ciudad Real Airport has been back in operation in recent years. Currently, the airport is engaged in aircraft storage, cargo transportation, and business aviation.