Sad lack of airmanship is the only reason I can see for this. A prob 30/40 TS in Spain in July should have all the alarm bells ringing for all the good reasons (additional hazards) others have given in that environment.
And couple that with the seldom acknowledged potential for trouble where a single runway airport (and often a sleepy one) is designated as diversion for a major 3/4 runway international hub and I have to say I'm not the least bit surprised. (take Ibiza as diversion for Palma or Reus for Barcelona as other traps for the unwary. It only takes a security scare or an incident that temporarily drops the RFF to a low level to shut the place down altogether in fine weather, let alone in TS)
My company uses Valencia as a primary diversion for Madrid and I never like the idea much. Madrid struggles to cope with its traffic - what chance does Valencia or worse Zaragosa stand if all that gets suddenly dumped on them? The people who divert early are the ones who stay comfortable in that situation, the chancers get to have a sweaty time of it. I suggest that is purely self-inflicted.
At risk of blaspheming in this crazy accountant-run industry, AIRMANSHIP!
Last edited by Agaricus bisporus; 27th Jul 2012 at 18:36.