Corvera

[djfwells]

Is there are conflict of interests between Aeromur and AENA with regards to the viability of Corvera airport, Murcia ?

Conflict of interests at Corvera ? (http://www.tumbit.com/news/articles/4580-conflict-of-interests-at-corvera.html)

[Fly380]

NO FLY ZONE | the courier newspaper (http://www.thecourier.es/?p=5979:confused:)

[Fly380]

Corvera Airport in Murcia will not open until 2013
larger | smaller
By h.b. - Apr 2, 2012 - 2:50 PM
The date was given by the Murcia President, Ramón Luis Valcárcel. The air traffic control tower at Corvera - EFE


The new airport at Corvera in Murcia has suffered another delay in opening of several months. Summer 2013 is now being put as the earliest date the facility can be operational.

The date was given by the President of the Murcia Government, Ramón Luis Valcárcel, who said that a thousand technical requirements and approval of the equipment used still has to be carried out. He said he did not want an airport with no planes, as has been seen in Castellón.

The departure of Luis del Rivero from constructors Sacyr has apparently slowed down the paperwork in Madrid. From Murcia himself he was sacked last October as boss of the multinational, and had been the person putting the necessary rhythm to get the airport operational.

The IU-Verdes spokesman for the Murcia region, José Manuel López, after hearing the airport will not open this summer, described the infrastructure as ‘ a never ending tale’.
Meanwhile AENA has announced 22 extra flights this summer from the San Javier airport.


Read more: Corvera Airport in Murcia will not open until 2013 (http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_34238.shtml#ixzz1qxiJqZ3f) :rolleyes:

[davidjohnson6]

The Spanish Govt announced last week they they are going on an austerity drive - see BBC News - Spain budget: Cuts to total 27bn euros this year (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17557172)

Spain doesn't seem to have any obvious military threats against it that would involve the use of air power and I don't see Spain engaging in any significant new overseas adventures for the time being.

I know the Spanish Air Force want MJV for pretty much their sole use, but is delaying the opening of Corvera until the economy improves and just sticking with San Javier an option ?

[Fly380]

I know the Spanish Air Force want MJV for pretty much their sole use, but is delaying the opening of Corvera until the economy improves and just sticking with San Javier an option ?

Of course not - it's too obvious. I guess it will happen by default. They are still making improvements to the passenger terminal at MJV.:ugh:

[TSR2]

And the latest in this sad sorry saga is that AENA have announced that they are to build a new Duty Free store opening Spring 2013 ...... at San Javier.

[Fly380]

It just goes on and on.:rolleyes:

! Murcia Today - Corvera Airport, Opposition Politicians Demand Answers (http://www.murciatoday.com/corvera-airport-opposition-politicians-demand-answers_12319-a.html)

[TSR2]

Now confirmed that Corvera Airport will open for business in April 2013.

[davidjohnson6]

TSR2 - do you have to have a source for that ? I did a Google, but nothing obvious came up...

[TSR2]

! Murcia Today - News - What's On - Where to Go - Where to Eat in Murcia Costa Calida Spain - Simply Networking (http://www.MurciaToday.com)

Go to Regional News section and it is the 12th story down.

[Phalconphixer]

Airport Official Website

Aeropuerto Internacional Región de Murcia - Home (http://www.airm.es/en/index.php)

[davidjohnson6]

TSR2 - sounds a bit like the company running Corvera airport making a lot of noise to persuade everyone that the new airport is ready, but everyone else dragging their feet.

Quite possible that Corvera will be genuinely capable of handling flights in April 2013. Whether Easyjet, Jet2, Norwegian, Ryanair and others actually fly to the new airport in April 2013 is a different matter - am guessing that changeover from San Javier is unlikely before October 2013.

[TSR2]

Whether Easyjet, Jet2, Norwegian, Ryanair and others actually fly to the new airport in April 2013 is a different matter - am guessing that changeover from San Javier is unlikely before October 2013

I have a feeling you may be right.

[djfwells]

I´m wondering why the state'owned airport´s authority woul dsign a 6 year deal to advertise San Javier, when apparently it is due to close "Immininently". Sure, it is ´possible´that the advertising contract could switch to Corvera, but why then would they pay good money to promote an airport that they don´t even own ....
AENA signs contract to advertise San Javier airport for 6 years (http://www.tumbit.com/news/articles/6069-aena-signs-contract-to-advertise-san-javier-airport-for-6-years.html)

[N707ZS]

Did the floods go anywhere near the new airport?

[djfwells]

The Corvera / San Javier saga continues...
Corvera and San Javier To Operate Simultaneously (http://www.tumbit.com/news/articles/6196-corvera-and-san-javier-to-operate-simultaneously.html)

[DjerbaDevil]

Corvera Airport is in the final stages of completion with only a further €107,000 required to complete essential electrical connections and complimentary infrastructure.

Where will the money come from? The Regional Government is nearly bankrupt and looking for a bailout from the Madrid Central Government and the builders/owners of Corvera airport had to get the Murcia Regional Government to guarantee their bank loans to the tune of 200 million euros to keep the banks from withdrawing their credit from them.

OK another 107,000 Euros may not sound too much considering the overall cost of building this private airport but doubt any bank in Spain at the moment is willing or has the available cash to throw at a useless venture. The news is that the Spanish Goverment requested a 100billion loan for the Spanish banks from the EU some time back, which was granted but the money has NOT come yet.........as there are doubts about how it is to be administered......and repaid......

[wowzz]

As Corvera is going to employ the same staff that are currently working at San Javier I fail to see how Corvera and San Javier can operate simultaneously.
Do the fire crew commute between airports in their fire engines, depending on aircraft movements? Ditto ground staff, catering staff etc.

[Buster the Bear]

On the basis that most passengers are flying into MJV for holiday or to visit folks who have moved to Spain, the new airport will mean a much longer journey for most travellers. Handy for the city of Murcia though, if that is where you want to go!

[wowzz]

For those of us living to the south of Murcia, the new airport [should it ever open] will mean a much reduced journey time.
Not every ex-pat lives in Benidorm, just those originallyfrom Luton!

[djfwells]

The more I read about the subject, the more I resign myself to the fact that Corvera will never be a viable airport
Corvera Airport : Will San Javier Airport ever close ? (http://www.tumbit.com/news/articles/6577-corvera-airport-will-san-javier-airport-ever-close.html)

[davidjohnson6]

What happened to that decree that a Govt bigwig signed in 2011 which was meant to close San Javier in 2012 ? Was it formally revoked, was its effect conditional on Corvera being fully open, or did people just pretend it didn't exist and hope nobody would make a fuss ?

Has the military made any noise recently about passenger flights continuing to stay at San Javier for the time being rather than moving to Corvera, or are they being terribly discreet knowing full well that the Spanish Govt is trying to cut costs for the time being ?

[Fly380]

I picked my son up last friday from MJV. There were 2 movements all day. That flight (Easyjet from Gatwick) and a flight from Madrid. Most days in the winter are very quiet so what would keep Corvera going? Also many people that use MJV in the summer will use Alicante instead. A White Elephant or what?

Murcia (San Javier) Airport Live Flight Arrivals & Departures Information (http://www.europe-airports.com/spain/show-flightstats.php?code=MJV)

[GnRdL]

Was there anyone doubted so far today?

Murcia's President Valcarcel is lying with regards to the transfer of operations between San Javier and Corvera.

And Corvera infrastructures are deteriorating due to lack of maintenance. :ugh:

And yes, another White Elephant.

[Fly380]

And to think the Spanish run Heathrow Airport.:eek:
You couldn't make up what is happening in Murcia.:ugh:

CORVERA - MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS | Spain | Leader - News, Sport, Spanish Property, Advertising, Classifieds - Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Costa Calida, Costa de Almeria, Spain (http://www.theleader.info/article/37439/spain/national/corvera-more-questions-than-answers/)

[Fairdealfrank]

Quote: "And to think the Spanish run Heathrow Airport.http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/eek.gif
You couldn't make up what is happening in Murcia.:ugh:

CORVERA - MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS | Spain | Leader - News, Sport, Spanish Property, Advertising, Classifieds - Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Costa Calida, Costa de Almeria, Spain (http://www.theleader.info/article/37439/spain/national/corvera-more-questions-than-answers/) "

Spanish don't actually run LHR. Ferrovial are the largest shareholders in Heathrow Ltd. (as it's now called). There are others, such as the Ontario Teachers pension Fund, and others. As for running it, AFAIK, the management is home-grown.

[Fly380]

Well that's a relief to know.;)

[Fly380]

The latest on Corvera from El Pais.
Corvera, the smart new kid on the block in Spain's empty airports club | In English | EL PAÍS (http://elpais.com/elpais/2013/02/25/inenglish/1361805608_976604.html)

[djfwells]

The question is : Why would AENA appoint a new Director for San Javier unless they have no intention for closing in favour of Corvera ?
Murcia's San Javier Airport appoints new boss (http://www.tumbit.com/news/articles/7068-murcias-san-javier-airport-appoints-new-boss.html)

[davidjohnson6]

djfwells - perhaps because in any organisation there has to be some form of management hierarchy to keep the lower ranks in line and prevent anarchy.
If there is no clear leader, then very quickly someone tries to usurp power and claim the throne of leadership. Better that AENA appoint a leader in a controlled way than waiting for various people to just fight amongst themselves.

As the saying goes, "Nature abhors a vaccuum"

[Frankfurt_Cowboy]

As the saying goes, "Nature abhors a vaccuum"

So does my wife

[Fly380]

Another interesting article from El Pais.

This is a translation of a recent article in El Pais (Feb 2013) . If this is correct is anyone out there still thinking that Corvera will open for business during our lifetime?

Antonio Sánchez Hernández expresses the irrefutable logic of the countryside. "I suspect they'll open it so that they can close it later," he says, pointing at the signs that proclaim "International Airport of the Murcia Region." Antonio, 72, a retired marble cutter and a farmworker in his spare time, sprinkles water on the earth in an attempt to save his modest harvest.

The airport he is pointing to across the motorway is a gray building, covered with stainless steel panels. It's an attractive building and is said to have won design awards. Entry is forbidden - all you can see is the scrubland between the runway, the empty parking lot and the unused control tower. Not a single commercial flight has landed here, despite the fact that the airport, which cost 266 million euros, was finished a year ago. To the shameful list of Spanish airports without planes - Castellón, Ciudad Real and Huesca - we can now add Corvera, which is yet to be inaugurated.

Murcia was going to be Florida - or rather, California. During the boom years, thousands of new apartments and golf courses were built, all located near the coast to attract the British. The regional government joined the party. Money appeared to be no object. That attitude led to building of the Cartagena-Vera toll road, which covers 100 kilometers of near-virgin coastland, and was designed to service these future resorts.

Then came the plan to build Marina de Cope, a mega-complex located in a natural park. The sweetener on the top of the plan was a private airport, designed to attract crowds of tourists. For the Popular Party (PP) regional premier, Ramón Luis Valcárcel, the major Alicante airport, located just 75 kilometers from Murcia, was not sufficient. Nor was the partial use of the San Javier military base, which is actually located in Murcia.

If it were to open, it would need an immediate injection of public funds"

That was why, in 2006, he awarded the construction of the airport to a consortium led by construction company Sacyr. But in 2008, when the building work began, the problems started - nothing went to plan. "That was when the bank financing fell through and the franchise holder ran into difficulties," explains the general director of transport, Antonio Sánchez-Solís. "The negotiations with the banks hit a dead end, and so of course the regional government provided guarantees for the consortium. But that doesn't mean that they have forked out a single penny," he says.

That deal took the form of a 200-million-euro guarantee. The PP introduced it as an amendment to its 2010 budget and as such, tied its fate to the project. If the franchise holder were to go bankrupt, the creditor banks - Caixabanc, Espírito Santo, Caixa de Tarragona, Caja Segovia, Cajasol, the Official Credit Institute (ICO) and the Caja de Tarragona - would demand 200 million euros from an indebted region. In fact, in 2012 Murcia had to request bailout funds of 527 million euros from the Regional Liquidity Fund. "That was the moment when they should have dropped the project, and nothing would have happened," explains a source with knowledge of the plan, who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity. "But Valcárcel was determined to press on."

With the guarantee from the region, credit began to flow and the pace of the construction work picked up. The project was finished a year ago, according to sources, but there was no ribbon-cutting nor champagne. The well-publicized disasters of Castellón and Ciudad Real have cast a long shadow over Murcia. No politician will be inaugurating another airport without planes. "It is still in the fitting phase and a few authorizations are pending," says the regional head of transport, who cannot confirm the date of its opening. "It would be rash to do so," he says. But a quick check of the newspaper archives reveals a number of missed deadlines already.

The main problem lies with the fact that, 35 kilometers away, the Public Works Ministry has just invested 70 million euros in improvements to the San Javier airport. Spanish airports authority AENA, which was in charge of managing the civil side of the project, built a new terminal there between 2004 and 2011, as well as another runway and a control tower. And it is calling on the region or the new airport to pick up the bill. "Neither the region nor the franchise holder have that money," explains a source from the project. "What they can do is transfer those assets to the Defense Ministry."

It's a venomous situation: a new airport that cost 266 million euros is calling for another airport, a public one, which is located 35 kilometers away and in which 70 million euros have been invested, to close down. "Valcárcel was determined to have his airport when he knew that AENA was investing in San Javier. He said that it would triple the arrival of tourists, but there's been no change," says Socialist spokeswoman Begoña García Retegui.

Despite the region's assurances that everything is in order, and that there is no risk with regard to the guarantee, the months slip by and the shareholders are getting nervous. Aside from Sacyr, other investors include banks such as CAM and Caja Murcia, and real estate firms Montoro e Hijos and Inprisma. Each one has a stake of around 6 percent, but several are getting tired of paying interest without a fixed inauguration date. Montoro e Hijos has already asked for a way out, according to the company.

Even if AENA agrees to close the San Javier airport, there would still be storm clouds over the project. The numbers cited when the project was created look very suspect. Passenger traffic at San Javier has fallen from two million in 2007 to 1.2 million in 2012. If Corvera were to absorb all of San Javier's traffic, it still wouldn't reach 5.2 million passengers in 2015, as the contract stipulated. "If it were to open, it would need immediate injections of public funds, as has been done with the toll roads," explains a source with knowledge of the operation. The franchise holder has declined to comment on the situation, although it has been pointed out that a renegotiation of such a deal is a regular practice.

Away from the negotiations between Sacyr, AENA and the region, the locals are equally disappointed with the project. The owners of the expropriated land where the construction took place have only received a part of the money they were promised. Ascensión Noguera is among the 90 people who have been affected by this. "I am paying a mortgage for a lemon orchard that I bought with great excitement, and now I've been left with nothing."

Antonio Sánchez, the farmer, offers his opinion: "There's not a single penny left. The money has gone. In that golf resort there are 1,500 houses, with 20 families living there. The foreigners are sick of being conned." He smiles as he speaks, but each sentence he utters is like a hammer blow. "The airport wasn't needed, but they have all made mistakes: the politicians and the banks. What we should have taken 30 years to do, we did in 10, and now someone has to pay for it all."


_______________________

[davidjohnson6]

Typically, large infrstructure projects require hefty loans to pay for the land purchase and construction. Banks will generally require various covenants to ensure the capacity of the project company to pay the interest on the debt - typically one finds in project budgets that the affordability gap is tightest immediately after construction is complete and revenues just start coming on line.

Spain is receiving a bail-out to help save its banks - it is likely that commercial and state owned banks will have very little leeway to let debts just keep on piling up somewhere. In addition, there will be political pressure to ensure banks are seen to correctly classify non-performing loans as being in default, sell of the loans to a Govt-owned bad bank, at which point private investors will have sufficient confidence to inject fresh capital into banks, the banking sector returns to health, credit is available to Spanish companies and the Spanish economy can be revived.

Somebody somewhere will be asking whether any more money can be committed to Corvera as a project or whether the money taps will be turned off for good and "alternative measures" similiar to those at Ciudad Real need to be taken by the board of the Corvera airport company.

[TSR2]

And the sad saga goes on :

From Murcia Today

Corvera airport has been completed for 15 months, yet is still not open. A combination of factors have caused delays: issues over airspace use, the bureaucratic difficulties in opening a new customs point, the complex paperwork required to open a new airport, but above all, the failure to agree terms with Aena to transfer operations from San Javier to Corvera.

The concessionary is unwilling to open without the closure of San Javier, but the Ministry for Development is refusing to move without compensation and neither the regional government nor concessionary have a spare 70 million to pay them. This week it's been reported that the concessionary is ready to throw in the towel, leaving the regional government with an unopened airport and a 200 million loan that it too, can´t afford to pay.

[Fly380]

It really doesn't look as though Corvera Airport will open for a very long time if at all. Heads should roll!
! Murcia Today - Corvera Airport In Crisis? (http://www.murciatoday.com/corvera-airport-in-crisis_16116-a.html)

[Aksai Oiler]

Unsurprising; however, heads should not roll, whom ever approved it, should be sent to JAIL - it might send the right kind of message; unfortunately heads won't roll and neither will anyone be sent to jail - such is the corruption of Spanish politicians :ugh:

[TSR2]

And the saga continues;

According to Murcia Today, the Regional Government are to initiate proceedings to terminate the contract of Aeromur to operate the airport.

The proceedings are expected to take three months and the contract re-adjudicated by the end of the year.

The airport therefore will not open this year.

What is the betting that the new concessionary will be Aena, the current operator of San Javier airport

[davidjohnson6]

To wake up a long ignored thread...

Any recent news on Corvera ? Google seems to suggest that the infrastructure is now largely in place, but the commercial aspects and politics still need to be resolved. I don't live anywhere near Murcia, so please tell me if I've read this completely wrong !

Are commercial passenger flights likely to be visiting for the summer 2014 season, or is somewhere between October 2014 and never the earliest credible option ?

[j636]

Aeromar won't open until other airport is closed and reported they have stopped paying loans. Two more licences needed before it can open and passenger numbers to the airports have dropped. An off season month has saw falls of 70,000+ in the last 5 years. Largely down to Ryanair pulling lot of traffic during the winter.

It could open by 2014 but I wouldn't expect it. IMO I hope the current place stays open.

[Fly380]

The latest :rolleyes:

Corvera Airport Will Not Open Before Nov 2014 | Tumbit News Story (http://www.tumbit.com/news/articles/8300-corvera-airport-will-not-open-before-nov-2014.html)

[djfwells]

I still recon that AENA know something we all don't ...
Murcia's San Javier Airport : No Imminent Plans to Close for Corvera ? | Tumbit News Story (http://www.tumbit.com/news/articles/8685-murcias-san-javier-airport-no-imminent-plans-to-close-for-corvera.html)

[Fly380]

And so it goes on and on. Will it ever open?

Corvera Airport costs 22,000? a day (http://www.roundtownnews.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=47896:corvera-airport-costs-22-000-a-day&Itemid=355)

[Millionmileshigh]

"Will it ever open?"

No.

[TSR2]

Latest prediction - Will open December 2014 with first commercial flights 2015/16.

Passenger projection - 7 million per year by, wait for it, 2051.

[wowzz]

The Spanish can hardly predict what is going to happen next week, so to look 28 years into the future is really going some!
And what is the point in such a long term guess?

[vctenderness]

The latest in the long running saga of Corvera:

AS FURTHER proof that there is little love lost between San Javier and Corvera airports, this week staff at San Javier said: "Workers of San Javier will not go to your private airport, now or ever." The message came from the chairman of the council of Aena, Peter Blaya, with the statement aimed directly at the posturing and propaganda from Alberto Garre. Garre, the regional president on Tuesday announced to the Regional Assembly that all workers from San Javier Aena, totalling about 530 between employees and auxiliary companies, will be relocated to the aerodrome of Corvera.

Blaya strongly criticized this intervention, because, according to the union official, "not one word catered to reality." Blaya, as an example of this lack of Garre’s sense of reality as regional president noted: "he has already stated that on April 2nd he would open Corvera, when there was no airport operator and the airfield itself was not finished," or when he indicated that Corvera would be able to be used by an Airbus 380, a plane "that only fits in Barajas and El Prat," as two more statements to show that Garre really has no understanding of how the airline business works and the reality of the situation, as opposed to purely political manoeuvring.

Blaya also announced the filing of a complaint with the European Commission for embezzlement. Specifically, the secretary general of the Federation of Citizen Services CCOO, Salvador Soto, that was presented on December 15th 2014 to the European Anti-Fraud Office regarding; "serious suspicion of fraud affecting public funding through the EU for Corvera airport. In that letter, he noted that San Javier Airport opened a second runway in 2011 to allow up to three million passengers to pass through San Javier. He added that if San Javier was to be closed that Garre might have to return some ten million euros of European funds, to add to the 22,000€ it costs in interest to keep Corvera closed, on a daily basis.

He warned Garre that the European Commission and ordered the Polish state to pay back 218 million euros, regarding the building of Gdynia airport, when Gdansk is only 25 kilometres away.

Therefore, the complaint to the European Commission recommends recovering 'misappropriated' funds for the Corvera airport and the Directorate General for Competition of the EU, that has not authorized a loan. Blaya added that San Javier airport, was the only Spanish airport to win an award from the Consejo Internacional de Aeropuertos: International Council of Quality Airports in the category of less than two million passengers.

[johnw1951]

Murcia Today update on court decision to allow re-tendering of Operating Contract. May, or may not be, accurate or significant.

! Murcia Today - Legal Decision Paves The Way For Corvera Airport To Move Towards Opening (http://murciatoday.com/legal-decision-paves-the-way-for-corvera-airport-to-move-towards-opening_27425-a.html)

[Fly380]

The latest :ugh:
Many of you may remember that some years ago we were all either excited or disappointed (depending on where our house was) that there was a plan to build an airport just outside Murcia (to handle the Paramount Theme Park traffic primarily which also never got off the ground) and there was also speculation that San Javier airport would be closed or may be allowed to remain. This was all the subject of much conversations in bars across the Murcia and Valencian regions.

Well time went on, and the airport was built and finished in 2010 and sat there like a white elephant unopened, while we all shook our heads in despair. Why? The problem was a legal battle between the local government and the concessionary Aeromur that had been awarded the concession, but had not opened the installations, giving lots of reasons (such as the economic climate). Eventually the government was so frustrated it rescinded Aeromur´s concession, who did not accept this decision and launched a Court battle, in the meantime, maintaining the installations at the airport. There was also the further complication of San Javier airport, which was meant to revert to a military airport but Aena would not close it unless compensated for the investment it had done into the military airport over these years. Last week the local government announced that at last the Courts had ruled in their favour and agreed the concession should be rescinded from Aeromur as they had not opened the airport. Of course they can still appeal, but that will rack up further expensive legal bills.

The local government now says, rather optimistically, that it will not be long before Corvera is opened. But as now the management tender will be put out if Aeromur do not appeal, there is still a way to go with this saga…

[Fly380]

And on and on it goes. What a waste of money. I believe The Paramount theme park has been put on hold as well.

! Murcia Today - Aeromur Continue The Fight To Be Reinstated At Corvera Airport (http://murciatoday.com/aeromur-continue-the-fight-to-be-reinstated-at-corvera-airport_27620-a.html)

[FrequentlyFlying]

EMA flight by EasyJet first in! - sad to see MJV close yesterday and final flight from the Mar Menor
https://murciatoday.com/first-flights-land-at-corvera-airport-_798357-a.html

[Plane.Silly]

Kudos for finding the original thread to this :)

[compton3bravo]

Got your wires crossed frequently flying. First flight Ryanair from EMA, then easy from Bristol. Easy do not fly from EMA anymore!

[lotus1]

I am going to miss the civil side of the old Murcia airport always a good drive down there.only used it twice always use Alicante .Many people I know who have got properties in la zenia and surrounding area are going to use Alicante now they say it's more quicker going here now then to the new airport.

[FrequentlyFlying]

Got your wires crossed frequently flying. First flight Ryanair from EMA, then easy from Bristol. Easy do not fly from EMA anymore!
Funny thing is I. knew it was FR, as EMA and it’s in the link media reports I read / posted / just so excited it finally opened I must have typed Easy LOL ! Doh .. anyhow ... one mothballed airport now operational and MJV returns to the military ... sad day .. now let’s see if any public transport turns up to grow it or they stick to 4 bus route trips a day .....

[N707ZS]

Is the light aircraft strip on the 23 end still open Los Martínez del Puerto, Murcia.