To further develop the region around Gibraltar in Spain and western Andalucia for tourism, Spain and the UK have announced their intention to collaborate on Gibraltar airport. However, the initiative is still in an exploratory phase.
The shared use of Gibraltar airport is one of the topics discussed within the negotiations on the Brexit agreement. This opening could mean a real revolution for this part of the province of Cádiz. The addition of new infrastructure can become an attraction for a large number of passengers within the Schengen area. Gibraltar is then added to the airports of Jerez, Seville and Málaga, which are also relatively close.
Promoting shared prosperity
José Manuel Albares, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, EU and Cooperation, explains in an interview with EuropaSur that this cooperation is mainly aimed at promoting shared prosperity. In his view, it is also urgent to improve the current substandard connectivity. Currently only British Airways and Easyjet operate from Gibraltar. Flights go to London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Bristol and Manchester.
Flights between Gibraltar, Madrid and Barcelona
A consequence of the collaboration would be that commercial flights to and from major Spanish cities such as Madrid and Barcelona could return to the British territory in southern Spain. Such a situation also existed between 2006 and 2011, much to the delight of the population and businesses in the region. Now they mainly want to stimulate the tourism sector through these improved air connections.
Although the details of the agreement have not yet been made public, Albares emphatically states that this cooperation should not be seen as a Spanish legitimisation of British sovereignty over Gibraltar.
Also read: Is Gibraltar going back to Spanish?