New Murcia Corvera Airport To Open In 2009

Just spotted this on the Typically Spanish website, lets keep our fingers crossed...

Corvera International Airport will be operational from 2009, according to the regional President of Murcia, Ramón Luis Valcárcel, who says it will be used by one and a half million passengers during its first year of operation, although that is expected to triple in the short to mid term.


The Development Ministry approved the project for the Murcia-Corvera Airport on Wednesday, which defines its general guidelines and sets out the area needed for each separate activity, including future expansion.


The total area will be 300 hectares, with a runway of 3,000 metres. It will have five hangars, and will be able to handle seven flights every hour.
Valcárcel has confirmed that building work should start in 2007, and will take around two years to complete.


The draft project for the airport is expected to be approved this May, and the building work put out to tender in the autumn.


It will cost 107 million euros to build, with investment of another 46 million to extend the facilities once the 1.5 million passenger target has been reached.

Jerez Airport to Puerto Banus and Marbella

Hi Gary

I have located your details on Spanish Airport guide. We have just been let down by BA who have cancelled our flight and I have noticed that RYANAIR now fly to Jerez. Could you possibly let me know two things.

1. Is it a feasible journey from Jerez to Puerto Banus
2. What sort of cost/journey time is involved??

Many thanks for any help you could offer

Best regards

Peter

Peter Elliott

My Reply

Hi Peter

Jerez is a possible option.

To Puerto Banus is about 90 mins by car, lots of hire car companies at Jerez Airport.
I live in Puerto Banus so you can take this journey time as "real".

Taxi or Transfers would be about €90 - €120, checkout Shuttle Direct.

You could also fly into Gibraltar with BA or Monarch, about 5 kms extra travelling than from Malaga to Puerto Banus.

Hope this helps

Regards

Gary Ingram

Showers at Madrid Airport

I just got this question in and I am unable to help.

Has anyone else got any information?

Hi Gary,
i have a question about Madrid airport that may or may not be in your domain. i have checked the Website for spanish airports and not found an answer to my question which is (and it is a bit of a strange one!) are there facilities to shower at the airport?

it's just that i am flying back home from Lima to England, and think it would be nice to freshen up properly before i meet all my friends and family having not seem them for nearly 10mths. (i have of course washed in the meantime!)

If you are able to advise, i would be really grateful.

Kind Regards

Ruth White


My Reply...

Hi Ruth

I honestly dont know if there are shower facilities at Madrid Airport, I will make a point of looking next time I am there!

The new terminal 4 building (which I havent been to you yet) has a huge number of facilities including a leisure area where you can get massages etc, so they may have showers.

The best thing to do is call the aiport information desk on (0034) 913 936 000

I will also place this on my blog and ask for help, if I get a reply I will let you know

Apologies for the delay in coming back to you but I have been away for 4 days myself.

Regards

Gary Ingram

Direct Flights Bilbao To Malaga

From April 13th 2006 Vueling Airlines will be starting a new service between Bilbao in the North of Spain and Malaga in the South.

They will initially offer four flights per week Monday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, leaving Bilbao at 1040 in the morning and getting into Malaga at 1220.

You can book direct at www.vueling.com

New Murcia Airport On The Horizon

I found this short but promising article on the Typically Spanish Website:

The Development Minister, Magdalena Álvarez, has said that she plans to approve the new airport for Murcia in a ‘very short time’. A meeting was held last Thursday to add the last technical details to the project which has been backed by the Prime Minister.

Meanwhile Murcia regional president, Ramón Luis Valcárcel is in London for a series of investment meetings today.

Direct Flights From Alicante To Malaga

Just recieved this email, if anyone knows anything different please post in the comments section

On Tue Mar 21 18:01 ,
Dear Gary

Are there any direct flights from Alicante ( or surrounding airports ) to Malaga and which airlines fly there.

Many thanks

Kim

My Reply:

Hi Kim

Unfortunately I do not know of a direct flight between Alicante and Malaga

www.iberia.es and www.spanair.com both offer flights but you will need to change at Barcelona or Madrid!

Good luck

Gary

Alicante Airport passenger numbers are down

The AENA (Spanish Airport Authority) have just released some figures that show passenger traffic at Alicante Airport in decline for the first time ever!

Although the % in decrease is small at just 3% for January and February the potential numbers invovled are huge. A 3% drop is equvialnt to around 30,000 passengers per month!

The biggest drop in passengers has been the number of people arriving from the UK, this has had the knock on effect of moving Easyjet off the top spot and replacing it with Spain's national airline Iberia
.

Spanish Bid For UK Airports Operator

After months of speculation the Spanish company Ferrovial finally made a bid for BAA.

It's the Spanish are hungry to snap up UK companies! First Abbey Bank fell into Santander Banks hands, Telefonica want to buy BT and now Ferrovial want to buy BAA.

All the money the Brits have been busy investing in the Costas over the last few years seems to be heading home in different hands!

Below is an extract from the Financial Times

Spanish construction group Ferrovial fell 0.2 per cent to €62.95 after major BAA shareholders, Scottish Widows Investment Partnership and Standard Life Investments, said on Monday they would not back Ferrovial’s £8.8bn for the British airport operator.

Ferrovial was expected to lobby BAA shareholders this week to back the 810p-a-share offer, before deciding whether to take its bid hostile.

BAA, which owns London’s Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports, rejected the bid on Friday. But speculation continued to surround the company, as rumours surfaced that Australian investment group Macquarie Bank was preparing a higher bid.

Tim Cahill at Goldman Sachs said he believed Ferrovial did not expect its initial bid to be successful, considering the stock had been trading above its 810p offer recently. “We think this was a move to gauge management and shareholder reaction and flush out other potential bidders.”

New Jet2 Flights to Lanzarote

Jet2 have announced a new route between it's main hub, Leeds Bradford and the Island of Lanzarote.

Over the summer months there will be a weekly flight which operates each Thursday. The flight leaves Leeds at 0930 and gets into Lanzarote at 1350.

During the winter months when a lot of people go down to the Canary Islands to catch up on some much need sun, the company will operate flights on two days of the week: Thursdays & Saturdays.

Book direct at Jet2.com

Aircraft Accident at Seville Airport

45 people were injured on Saturday (18th March 2006) after an Air Algerie plane veered off the runway.

Luckily none of the injuries are serious and a spokesman for Seville San Pablo Airport told a waiting Press Conference that the accident was due to faulty landing gear on the plane.

Seville Airport was closed for a while and around 40 flights were diverted but all is back to normal now.

The passengers, mostly Spaniards, just ended their visit to Algerian camps near Tindouf for Western Sahara refugees. Enditem

Flights From Barcelona To Santiago

I have just found out that Vueling, the German low cost airline are to offer a direct daily flights between Barcelona and Santiago de Compostela.

The service starts on 13th April and they will depart from Barcelona at 1335 and land in Santiago at 1510.

The return flights from Santiago de Compostela to Barcelona leave at 1630 and get into Barcelona at 1805.

Flying from the UK to Malaga

Dear Gary,
>
> I want to book a flight from the UK to Malaga airport on 13th August for 6 adults and 1 child returning on the 27th.
>
> The party consists of people from Grimsby, Sheffield, and London and we all want to fly together from the cheapest but convenient airport.
>
> Can you help?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Dan


My Reply

Hi Dan

Our site is just an information site but I would imagine somewhere like Coventry or Birmingham would be a good meeting point.

Thomsonfly fly from Coventry

Flybe, Monarch and BMIbaby fly from Birmingham.

Norwich could be an outside bet: Flybe fly to Malaga from there

Stansted and Luton are the two airports that are north of London and easiest to get to from Sheffield and Grimsby, Monarch and Easyjet fly from here.


Hope that you have a great time in August.

Regards

Gary

Buses From Jerez To Marbella / Malaga

We were just messing about and found out some information about the buses that run from Jerez down to Marbella and Malaga.

As Ryanair are now flying into Jerez Airport and they are offering some good cheap deals this may be worth considering if you have the time and like travelling by bus.

Driving by car would only take a couple of hours so the bus is pretty slow!

You have to then get the bus (or taxi) to Jerez Airport from the City center but thats not too big a journey.

I have been to Jerez and like it a lot, it's worth getting the bus there a day early and spending the last day of your holiday in the City!

Marbella to Jerez City

The buses leave Marbella Bus Station at 0945 each day and the journey takes 4 hours, the cost is €14.68.

The buses from Jerez to Marbella leave at 1530 and get into Marbella at about 1930.

Malaga to Jerez

The buses leave Malaga at 0815 ecah day, journey time 5 hours, cost €19.15

The buses leave Jerez at 1530 each day and get into Malaga at 2030.

The links for the complete timetables are here:

Marbella Buses
Malaga Buses

Delays at Malaga Airport

There have been some really bad traffic delays at Malaga Airport as the expansion works disrupt absolutely everything.

I just had this email in and thought I would post it here.

If I were flying out of Malaga Airport after 10am then I would allow an extra 30-45 mins for the journey!


Marlynn O'Keefe writes:

> Hi Gary. Have read that traffic is terrible at Malaga airport. Would turn
> car in day before we leave if can take train to airport from Funegirola.
> Any ideas? Thanks. Marlynn

My Reply...


Hi Marlynn,

The airports a nightmare at the moment, would hate to be flying in or out during July and August!

Dropping the car off the day before might be good but seems like a waste of a couple of hours on your holiday!

Better to leave nice and early when you are flying home, if you ring your car hire company they may have a better drop off spot than usual and may then shuttle you into the airport.

If you do need the trains checkout this page:

http://www.malaga-airport-guide.com/Airport-Trains.html

Ps:I flew out of Malaga Airport a couple of weeks ago and it took about 20 mins longer than normal to get there.

Hope this helps,

Regards

Gary Ingram

Meeting points at Barcelona Airport

We just had this question in and my answer is below, if anyone's got a better (clearer) answer can they let me know. I know terminal B well but I am sketchy on A & C.

I am off to Barcelona on 27th March and have made a note to detail the terminals a little better.

Hi

I am flying out to Barcelona on Sunday, I am flying on my own and will be meeting my friends at the airport, however I have no idea of what the airport looks like, could you suggest a meeting point for us to meet at or send me a map of the airport please.
Many Thanks

Katie

MY REPLY

Hi Katie

I can only suggest a really good meeting point if you know which terminal you are flying to.

I am going to make a guess at you arriving at terminal B and suggest that you meet your friends at the cafe /bar that is at the far end of the terminal building, I think it's called the Medas Bar, it's just after the car hire booths that run along the terminal building.

As you exit with your luggage it will be on YOUR right. As they enter the terminal building it will be on THEIR LEFT.

AENA (the Spanish Airport Authority) do have maps but there are not that good! You can find them here

http://www.aena.es

The site goes into English by clicking the button on the top right.

I hope this helps you, if you are arriving at another terminal let me know.

Best Regards

Gary Ingram

Easyjet Flights From Edinburgh To Alicante

From 20th May 2006 you will be able to fly direct from Edinburgh to Alicante with Easyjet.

Although the new service is limited to just Saturdays over the summer months it may well end up being a popular route and therefore more flights and a year long service could be introduced.

Book direct now at www.easyjet.com

Shuttle Direct Airport Transfers

Airport transfers in Spain are big business and as more and more of us are putting our own holiday together airport transfers are becoming an important part of the booking process.

I live down on the Costa del Sol and every one knows a "local" English bloke who will pick you and drop you off at the airport but I have always worried about the insurance that these guys have.

When we were choosing which company to recommend for our airport transfers on Spanish Airport Guide we wanted to recommend a company that offered a good service at a decent price, had the right insurances and had a SECURE PAYMENT Facility.

With this in mind we opted to recommend Shuttle Direct for all Spanish Mainland Airport transfers.

Below is an extract from a press release that they have just put out which tells you far more about the service they offer than I can.

"Airport transfer company Shuttle Direct announce an expanded range of destinations served. The addition of services to thirteen more airports across France, Italy and Portugal ensures even greater coverage of European holiday resorts and city breaks.

Alicante, Spain (PRWEB) March 8, 2006 -- Shuttle Direct, provider of door-to-door airport transfer services, have added thirteen further airports to their roster. The new destinations include Faro for the Algarve, Genoa and Nice for the Mediterranean and Northern Italian city break destinations Milan, Venice, Treviso, Verona and Bergamo. Transfers now serve Paris from the airports at Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Beauvais.

When a customer books their holiday transfer online thought the secure and user-friendly automated booking system they also get online value fares, which offer a reduction on the agency price. Shuttle Direct transfers are serviced by a range of vehicles depending on the requirements of the customers. Vehicles used by the company include taxis, microbuses, minibuses, limousines and coaches.

The full list of airports served now includes Alicante (ALC), Almeria (LEI), Amsterdam (AMS), Antalya (AYT), Barcelona (BCN), Bodrum (BJV), Dalaman (DLM), Faro (FAO), Genoa (GOA), Girona (GRO), Granada (GRX), Ibiza (IBZ), Istanbul (IST), Izmir (ADB), Jerez (XRY), Larnaca (LCA), Madrid (MAD), Malaga (AGP), Malta (MLA), Menorca (MAH), Milan Linate (LIN), Milan Malpensa (MXP), Milan Bergamo (BGY), Murcia (MJV), Nice (NCE), Palma Mallorca (PMI), Paphos (PFO), Paris Beauvais (BVA), Paris Orly (ORY), Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG), Reus (REU), Riga (RIX), Rome Ciampino (RMA), Rome Fiumicino (FCO), Sevilla (SLQ), Tallinn (TLL), Toulouse (TLS), Treviso (TSF), Valencia (VLC), Venice (VCE), Verona (VRN), Verona Brescia (VBS) and Vilnius (VNO).

The new airports bring the total number of destinations served to 43, in ten countries. Later this year Shuttle Direct will announce further destinations to be served; turning the spotlight on holiday transfers to the Canary Islands and additional city break destinations across Europe."

To make a booking simply go to the Shuttle Direct Website

For the Canary Islands we recommend Canary Forum and you can read more information about Canary Island Airport Transfers here.

Chelsea Players & Supporters Invade Barcelona Airport

If you are heading to Barcelona over the next few days expect to see one or two Chelsea fans. If your lucky you might even catch a glimpse of the Chelsea team!

Chelsea play Barcelona tonight and I think the kick off is around 2045 (Spanish Time, 1945 (UK time).

If you are a Chelsea fan and you haven't got your flight sorted yet remember that you can fly into Barcelona Airport, Reus Airport or Girona Airport.

For the last two are about 90-120 minutes to drive to the stadium.

Granada Airport - GRX - Website Update

I went up to Granada Airport a few weeks ago and I am currently updating the information we have on the website for Granada Airport
By the end of the week there will be better detailed information about the facilities at the airport together with information on what expansion and changes are taking place.
Several large car hire companies from Malaga have just opened up at Granada Airport and a new, provate, long term car park has just opened.

Easyjet Flights To Marrakech

Slightly of the theme of Spanish Airports...

I have just noticed that Easyjet are offering a new route from London Gatwick to Marrakech.
The flights start on 4th July 2006 and they are pffering a daily service that leave sthe UK at 0745 each morning and gets you into Marrakech at 1045.

Flights are on sale now and when I checked a few minutes ago you could get flights fro about 50 pounds each way.

Book direct at www.easyjet.com

Gibraltar Airport Update

I have now added a page dedicated to Gibraltar Airport after going down their on Monday.

It's a small and easy airport to get around and very handy if you are travelling anywhere east of Marbella.

British Airways fly to Gib from Heathrow and Gatwick, Monarch fly to Gib from Manchester and Luton.