Its not just Spain with unused airports

[racedo]

Plane truth: Millions spent on rarely used airport - Open Channel (http://openchannel.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/26/14723645-plane-truth-millions-spent-on-rarely-used-airport?lite)

Seems like Spain is not the only place that spend millions on an unused airport.

[DaveReidUK]

I love the quote from the town's mayor, about how the good loads on the 4 movements per week are "indicative of the pent-up demand". :O

[ETOPS]

So 19,000 movements a year is "unused"? This is nothing other than typical US regional airport (with plenty of private/corporate traffic) that would like to expand into scheduled services.

This article is more about tax dollars than aeroplanes..........

[boeing_eng]

The locale is hardly a tourist destination.....If you've ever been there you'll know what I mean!:}:}

I can also understand why they lock the terminal doors!:ooh:

[Aksai Oiler]

Don't know how you can compare the Rampant spend on "new" airports in Spain with this... To me as a Spanish tax payer, all the politicians should be put up against a wall and shot, regardless of party. We are now in a situation that Spain is one of the worst countries in the world do/start up a business. the current government is doing a pitiful job to stem spending and nothing to encourage growth in any business sector. The regional governments in Murcia, Valencia and other regions where these white elephant airports were built are criminally responsible and should be thrown in jail, in my opinion :ugh:

[TRY2FLY]

No surprise Ireland has two airfields built in 2008 that cost millions still not yet opened.

See both Cliften and Inishbofin Airfields from the link - http://www.ronaldv.nl/abandoned/airfields/EI/west.html

[jabird]

Surely Gary is still an option as an overflow for ORD and MDW?

A better option than a new airport at Peotone?

If there is a relevant Spanish comparison, then is it not the ill fated Don Quixote airport? At least Gary is still in the Chicago area, and could be served by roads + potentially a rail connection if it warranted it.

Don Quixote (CQM) was a first, and presumably an only, in airport development - build a new airport and then connect it to the nearest metropolitan area by high speed rail - a journey of some 200km!

Of course, air + high speed rail works when you already have a megahub and are offering ADDITIONAL ways of getting there.

The other thing that killed CQM was that MAD opened T4, creating vacant space in the other, tattier terminals for FR, U2 and others to move in. ORD has also substantially developed its master plan lately.

[DaveReidUK]

Surely Gary is still an option as an overflow for ORD and MDW?

That is in fact the justification quoted in the article:

"The City of Chicago continues to support the Compact as Gary Airport serves as a reliever airport in the regional Chicago airport system."