Castellón–Costa Azahar Airport Explained

Nativename:Aeropuerto de Castellón
Nativename-A:Aeroport de Castelló
Castellón Airport
Iata:CDT
Icao:LECH
Location:Vilanova d'Alcolea, Benlloch
Elevation-M:360
Metric-Elev:360
Coordinates:40.2097°N 0.0697°W
Pushpin Label:LECH
R1-Surface:Asphalt
Metric-Rwy:y
Lid:CDT
Type:Private
Owner-Oper:SNC-Lavalin
City-Served:Castellón de la Plana
Elevation-F:1,181
Website:Castellón Airport Website
Pushpin Map:Spain
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Spain
R1-Number:06/24
R1-Length-M:2,700

Castellón Airport (Spanish; Castilian: Aeropuerto de Castellón, Catalan; Valencian: Aeroport de Castelló), [1] is an airport serving the city of Castellón de la Plana, located near Vilanova d'Alcolea, Benlloc and Cabanes in the Valencian Community, Spain.

History

The airport was officially declared "open" by local authorities in March 2011, shortly before regional elections and as total cost reached €150 million,[2] 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,[3] but the first commercial flight to the airport landed on 15 September 2015.[4]

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

The airport has become a symbol of the wasteful spending that has helped sink Spain deep into a recession and a banking crisis.[5] For instance, the company in charge of running the airport, Aerocas, was found to have spent 26 million euros, a sixth of the cost of the airport, on sponsoring various sports teams in its region.[6] 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 just outside the airport. Fabra has been under judicial investigation in connection with several cases of corruption and tax evasion,[5] and was sentenced to four years in prison for tax fraud in December 2014.[7]

On 14 January 2014, nearly four years after the formal opening of the airport, a 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.[8] [9]

The first regular scheduled, albeit seasonal, flights from Castellón-Costa Azahar to Bristol and London Stansted, operated by Ryanair, began in September 2015.[10] The European Union has opened a formal investigation into whether both the Canadian company that manages the airport (SNC-Lavalin) and Ryanair are receiving illegal subsidies from the regional government.[11]

Between August and November 2020, three British Airways Boeing 747 aircraft that were retired were transported to Castellón–Costa Azahar Airport for dismantling. One aircraft, registration G-CIVD, caught fire and was severely damaged.

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Castellón–Costa Azahar Airport became a storage facility for Ukraine International Airlines fleet of six Boeing 737 aircraft.[12]

In 2022, a number of airlines scheduled new routes from the airport. These included Wizz Air to Budapest, Ryanair to Dublin and Brussels South Charleroi and Air Nostrum connecting the airport domestically to Madrid.[13] [14] [15]

Airlines and destinations

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Castellón–Costa Azahar Airport:

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Castellon De La Plana Airport (CDT) Website. SNC Lavalin . 13 November 2015 .
  2. Web site: Investors bidding for Spanish 'ghost airport' . Burns . Justin . 27 January 2014 . 24 April 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140603162247/http://www.airport-world.com/home/general-news/item/3602-operator-of-yet-to-open-castellon-costa-azahar-airport-set-to-be-named . 3 June 2014 . dead .
  3. Web site: Spain's Vacant Airport Typifies European Woes. https://web.archive.org/web/20111123192306/http://www.miller-mccune.com/business-economics/spains-vacant-airport-typifies-european-woes-37884/ . 2011-11-23 . Miller-McCune.
  4. News: First commercial flight lands at Spanish 'ghost airport' nearly five years after it opened . . September 15, 2015.
  5. News: In Spain, a Symbol of Ruin at an Airport to Nowhere . . July 18, 2012.
  6. News: EU denuncia que el aeropuerto de Castellón gastó 26 millones en patrocinios . . April 4, 2014.
  7. Web site: Spanish politician who built ghost airport begins jail term for tax fraud. Ashifa. Kassam. 2 December 2014. the Guardian.
  8. News: Ryanair to become first airline to fly to Spain's ghost airport. The Guardian. 10 March 2015 . 4 August 2022 . Topham . Gwyn .
  9. News: Champions League a possible destination as Villarreal take flight at last. The Guardian. 19 January 2015 . 4 August 2022 . Lowe . Sid .
  10. Web site: Ryanair launches London Stansted Winter 2015 Schedule - Stansted Airport. www.stanstedairport.com. 2015-03-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20150315030544/http://www.stanstedairport.com/about-us/media-centre/press-releases/ryanair-launches-london-stansted-winter-2015-schedule. 2015-03-15. dead.
  11. News: Bruselas investiga las ayudas al aeropuerto de Castellón. Joaquín Ferrandis, Belén Domínguez. Cebrián. El País. 10 September 2015.
  12. Web site: Castellon airport becomes a car park for a Ukrainian airline fleet. 18 February 2022 . Euro Weekly News. 10 August 2022.
  13. Web site: Wizz Air provides new connections from Budapest Airport. June 2022 . aviation24.be. 10 August 2022.
  14. Web site: Castellón airport will be connected by Ryanair with Brussels South Charleroi from 27 March. 10 March 2022 . aviation24.be. 10 August 2022.
  15. Web site: Air Nostrum's Castellon-Madrid route expected to be a 'turning point' for Castellon's connectivity. Centre For Aviation. 10 August 2022.