Región de Murcia International Airport

Región de Murcia International Airport, formerly known as Murcia–Corvera Airport, is an airport recently constructed in the municipality of Murcia (Spain), whose works began in July 2008 and which was expected to be operational before the end of 2013.^[1] It was revealed that the airport was built in a no-fly zone and therefore civilian passenger planes would not be able to operate at the airport.^[2]

Promoted by the regional government, it will be privately managed by a consortium of seven companies, led by Sacyr Concesiones. It is situated between the villages of Corvera, Martínez El Puerto and Valladolises within the municipal district of Murcia and has direct access to the A-30 between Murcia and Cartagena.

Background

The airport is located between Murcia and Cartagena. It has been claimed that its development was proposed because the current airport in Murcia – Murcia–San Javier Airport – did not have the capacity to hold as many aircraft due it also being a military base.

Facilities

The airport has a single passenger terminal of 28,500 m² and a single 3,000 x 45 m runway. It will have a capacity of 3 million passengers and 23,000 movements per year upon opening. The terminal is equipped with 9 boarding gates, 25 check-in desks and 4 baggage reclaim belts. The runway has one rapid-exit taxiway (RET) and 4 holding bays. It is equipped with precision approach instrument ILS CAT I at threshold 23 and non-precision instrument DVOR/DME. In May 2015 Corvera airport management contract was withdrawn from Aeromur^[3]

Status

Latest reports suggest that the facility will not become operational until 2016 at the very earliest,^[4] with the Spanish airport operator Aena recently expressing an interest in managing the privately owned airport.^[5] Concerns have also been expressed over the airport being restricted by a no-fly zone.^[6] A report in La Verdad the week of 13 Dec 2015 suggests that Corvera "will open in 2017" claimed by the Minister of Employment, Economy and Tourism on the Spanish radio Cadena Sur. ^[7]

In June 2016 a new Murcian government president came to power and said he could not put a date onto when Corvera airport will open - however the management contracts are said to now be put out to tender late this year. A couple of days after this announcement, Tumbit reported that Corvera airport "will NOT open in 2016" - this has been said by some officials in Murcia. ^[8] As of the end of August 2016, the airport remains closed.

The airport cannot viably open until Murcia–San Javier Airport closes.^[9]

References