Castellón–Costa Azahar Airport

This article is about the new airport in Benlloch. For the older general aviation airport in Castellon de la Plana, see Castellón Airport.
Castellón–Costa Azahar Airport
Aeropuerto de Castellón-Costa Azahar
Aeroport de Castelló
IATA: CDT – ICAO: LEDS – LID: CDT
Summary
Airport type Private
Owner/Operator Aerocas
Serves Castellón de la Plana
Location Vilanova d'Alcolea, Benlloch
Elevation AMSL 350 m / 1,145 ft
Coordinates 40°12′35″N 0°04′11″E / 40.20972°N 0.06972°ECoordinates: 40°12′35″N 0°04′11″E / 40.20972°N 0.06972°E
Website aerocas.com
Map
LEDS

Location in Spain

Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
06/24 8,858 2,700

Castellón–Costa Azahar Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto de Castellón-Costa Azahar, Valencian: Aeroport de Castelló), (IATA: CDT, ICAO: LEDS)[1][2] is an airport in Vilanova d'Alcolea and Benlloch in Spain.

History

Controversy

The airport was officially declared "open" by local authorities in March 2011, shortly before regional elections and as total cost reached €150 million,[3] despite having neither airlines signed up to land there nor government approval to operate. Delayed for several years, commercial flights were due to begin on 1 April 2012,[4] but as of December 2014, there have been none.[3]

In February 2012, El País reported that modifications would have to be made to the runway before the airport could be brought into use.[5] It was then later reported that the runway was to be dug up entirely.[6]

The airport has become a symbol of the wasteful spending that has helped sink Spain deep into a recession and a banking crisis.[7] The airport was, for instance, recently found to have spent 26 million euros sponsoring various sports teams in its region.[8] Also, a $375,000, 24 metre tall statue, often interpreted as a representation of Carlos Fabra, the formerly powerful local politician who was the driving force behind its construction, was erected in the airport. Fabra has been under judicial investigation in connection with several cases of corruption and tax evasion.[7]

Operations

On 14 January 2015, nearly four years after its opening, the first flight departed from Castellón-Costa Azahar. Air Nostrum charter flight YW2003 carried the Villarreal CF football team, which is sponsored by the airport itself, to San Sebastián for their Copa del Rey match against Real Sociedad.

Spanish newspaper ABC has reported that those in charge of the airport are hoping that low-cost airline Ryanair will also fly to and from Castellon.[9] On 11 March 2015, Ryanair announced the two first commercial regular flights from Castellón-Costa Azahar to Bristol and London–Stansted to start mid-September 2015.[10]

Airlines and destinations

Airlines Destinations
Ryanair Bristol (begins 16 September 2015), London-Stansted (begins 15 September 2015)

References

  1. ↑ "Castellon-Costa Azahar Airport - LEDS - Airport Guide". AirportGuide.com. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  2. ↑ "ECCAIRS 4.2.8 Data Definition Standard – Location Indicators by State" (PDF). 17 September 2010. p. 99. Retrieved 24 April 2014. This doc shows "LECS" as the code for "Sevilla", so it cannot be the correct one for this airport.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Burns, Justin (27 January 2014). "Investors bidding for Spanish 'ghost airport'". Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  4. ↑ "Spain's Vacant Airport Typifies European Woes". Miller-McCune
  5. ↑ Fabra, María (2012-02-14). "Airstrip at Castellón's plane-free airport needs to be widened". El País. Retrieved 2012-03-14.
  6. ↑ Fiona, Movan (2012-02-15). "Spanish 'ghost' airport's unused runway to be dug up". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2013-08-01.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "In Spain, a Symbol of Ruin at an Airport to Nowhere". New York Times. July 18, 2012.
  8. ↑ "EU denuncia que el aeropuerto de Castellón gastó 26 millones en patrocinios". El Pais. April 4, 2014.
  9. ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2871476/Spanish-ghost-airport-cost-receive-flight-four-years-completion.html
  10. ↑ http://www.stanstedairport.com/about-us/media-centre/press-releases/ryanair-launches-london-stansted-winter-2015-schedule

External links