Updates on the Andorra-La Seu Airport
The Andorra-la Seu Airport is open to public and commercial use
Andorra la Vella – Source “Ara.ad”
The objective is to reach 50.000 passengers in the long term. At the moment, there are approximately 10 companies interested in offering corporate aviation services and the administrations are awaiting the specification of the initiatives.
A historical day for the Pyrenees, particularly for Alt Urgell and Andorra. This is how the Generalitat of Catalunya’s Councillor of Territory and Sustainability, Santi Vila, qualified the act that took place at the Andorra-la Seu Airport this past Thursday.
Thursday’s act started with the inauguration of this new stage for the airport by a committee lead by Santi Vila. Later that day, Mariano Rajoy visited the installations and set off towards Madrid once his visit to Andorra came to an end. And finally, Vila and the Minister of Economy and Territory of Andorra, Jordi Alcobé, signed the protocol of understanding for the co-management and promotion of the airport. This agreement foresees that Andorra will provide 50% of the deficit for the operations infrastructure, up to a maximum of 300.000 euros, as well as a variable amount depending on the number of passengers. In this respect, Alcobé indicated that Andorra “will make a greater effort economically speaking”. He also qualified the step taken this Thursday as a sign of the “political bravery of the two governments” and emphasized that for Andorra, this is an important infrastructure to capture new activities in the framework of the Economic Diversification and to get closer to Europe.
The airport has a strip of 1,267 metres by 28 metres and Councillor Vila has assured that it is a complementary infrastructure to the Alguaire airport, as due to the dimensions of the landing strip, it cannot receive large capacity flights such as those of tourist operators like Thomas Cook. It can only receive planes of up to 40 passengers. For this reason, the 10 or so companies interested are from corporate aviation, such as air taxis, and in future possibly charter flights. Both governments have avoided speaking of when the first services as a commercial airport will be available, mentioning how the conditions have been created and now it is up to business networks to make the most of this opportunity.
The mayor of la Seu d’Urgell, Albert Batalla, mentioned how the airport will be the cheapest one in Spain.
50.000 passengers in the long term
The director of Aeroports de Catalunya, Jordi Candela, has indicated that the operating cost is estimated to be between 600.000 and 700.000 euros, and that the short term forecast is that the airport should be able to receive around 20.000 passengers; a figure that he believes will increase to 50.000 in ten years. For now, however, he has not made any forecast for the first year.
Details from the Chamber of Commerce
The Vice-president of the Chamber of Commerce of Andorra, Miquel Armengol, and the president of the aviation commission, Ramon Ginesta, detailed the work that this entity has performed in relation to contacting different corporate aviation companies, such as Air Corsica or Executive Airlines, and has explained that the airport will be successful if it is multifunctional, that’s to say, that as well as receiving flights that it is able to offer technical services and plane maintenance. For this, Armengol assures that they have worked, together with the Govern, on an aviation regulation, which they calculate could be approved in 6 months, in order to allow the registration of planes in Andorra, in a way that this could benefit sectors like banking and insurance. Furthermore, from the Chamber of Commerce they believe that the airport opens up the possibility of attracting luxury tourism to the Principality, with jets of 4 to 8 passengers, and for this reason they are organizing a transport service from the airport to Andorra. They also believe that the most profitable flights will be those of more than 500 Km and therefore do not believe that there is much point in doing transfers to Barcelona, as it will still be faster to do this by road.
Previous articles on this subject:
December 16
Andorra will contribute 50% of the running costs of the airport plus a variable amount
A mixed commission will be formed by representatives from both governments, presided by a representative from the Generalitat government, which will approve biannual work plans. The Govern has already completed all the formalities and obtained all the permits for the airport to receive commercial planes as of the 8th of January, when this infrastructure will become of public use and the following flights will be able to operate: tourist, passenger, goods, post and air-taxis.
Both the Generalitat and the Govern d’Andorra will have to contribute 300.000€ each a year for the running of the airport in this commercial phase, with promotional costs having to be added to this.
Andorra la Vella - Source "Ara.ad"
The Generalitat (Catalunya) has allocated a budget of 560.000 Euros for the Andorra-La Seu Airport
In November - The Minister of Economy confirms that the La Seu airport will be classed as a commercial one on the 8th of January
Andorra la Vella - Source "Andorradifusio.ad"
The Airport d’Andorra – La Seu is awaiting the Publicació de la Informació Aeronàutica (AIP) (publication of aviation information) that has to appear in the Boletín Oficial del Estado d'Espanya (BOE) after a visit by tecnicians of the Agència Estatal de Seguretat Aèria (State Air Security Agency). This is the last procedure to be carried out so that the La Seu Airport can receive commercial flights, and according to the Minister of Economy and Territory, Jordi Alcobé, the date set “at the moment” to requalify the airport is the 8th of January. Alcobé has acknowledged that 2 months will have to pass before this decision enters into effect one the publication of the document on the BOE.
