SPAIN

RE: SPAIN

I totaly agree with kkbelos, the network is good but they need to invest more money in Barcelona desperatly. Another one I think needs working on is Valencia, but apart from that the others are normally OK.

RE: SPAIN

It seems that with Seian we are three Spaniards over here. Good…. As far as airports are concerned I fully agree with Kkabelos in the point that three airports for Galicia are too much and Santiago airport is enough. As in many other parts of Spain, too many terminals, losing money and not serving the local communities. Only hub feeders, multiplication of flights to Madrid. The bad result, is that many terminals in this country are not always properly equiped, because money has to be invested and distributed in many others. The problem here is that all airports belong to the state and doesn´t apply a separete and individual policy to each one according to the regions demands like in the UK or other areas where the local community is concerned and involved in the development of its airport. AENA is simply concerned in cashing money…no competence between airports but with ground transportation. So they don´t care if the airport loses money or not. Big and effective airports alocate small ones. And other point is the political prespective. Too many ignorant mayors or regional politicians who want an airport in their backyard.
http://communities.msn.es/lavacolla

RE: SPAIN

Sounds like the same kind of BS that goes on in Greece. Not towards the airports, but towards the flag carrier Olympic. That airline has been $hit ever since Onassis relenquished control. The fact that a carrier based in Greece, a country with such a tourism base and 100+ islands, is operating at a loss for 20+ years is just asinine.

GD1

RE: SPAIN

[h1]Maybe UKs air infraestructures are enough. Are they?[/h1]

:D:D:D

Yeh right !!!

there is pleanty of capacity outside the sout easst cos of all the old raf bases but in the south east where everyone wants to fly from there in little capcity at existing airports. basically eveyone wants to use heathrow nd is reluctant to go elsewhere. gatwick, stnastead and luton are utilsed sufficently but none of the resident agree to an expansion of any of them an are creating signifcant oppositon. tpeople already hat to travel betwen the 4/5 london airports so th prospect of adding manston in kent is not liked.

rabie :9

RE: SPAIN

Well, I agree that Spain should invest more on airports but the network is a very good one, in fact i think it´s oversized. Much more money should be spent in Barajas and Barcelona (well, it seems that Barajas is finally developing but we still need the fouth runway which noboby knows when will enter service, but Barcelona needs more runways, a new terminal, etc.).In the other hand, the new airports are a nosense. Who needs an airport in Leon or Badajoz?, those cities don´t have economical power to support an airport. I´m from a village near Leon and I can tell you why the airport was built. A regionalist party (UPL) gave the regional power to the PP, the party who rules the national goverment. So the PP had to pay back, the UPL invented a new reason to protest in the media, they wanted and airport (thats what they asked for, perhaps tomorrow the will ask for a space station or another funny and useless item for the region because that party gets votes thanks to the fairy tales they sell to the people) and now we´ve an airport in Leon. Because nobody wants to operate routes from Leon (not enough profit) the regional gov has to pay Air Nostrum so the airport is used. And this is a example of the problem with AENA (Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegacion Aerea-Spanish Airports and Aerial Navigation), the goverment rules it, so it is used for political reasons.Also AENA can´t take painful decisions (i.e. build another runway because the major of the area will use politics to redesign the project so he will not loss any votes).
And because of this the network is oversized.We´ve three major airports in Galicia, separated less than 100 kilometers, when the one in Santiago will be enough (maybe keltic doesn´t agree with me, for sure he´s better informed than me) but AENA won´t close even one of them, the PP also rules Galicia (I´m not an anti-PP, the same will happen with every other party).
So I agree, we need a better network, and a rational one. I would like to see AENA state owned (I believe some bussines should be done by the state because of their importance) but independent. The problem is political interference into technical matters.
I´ve hear from the media that it´s pretended to split AENA between the airports side and the aerial navigation side.

Bufff, this is my longest post ever, I´m tired

Regards:
Jorge

RE: SPAIN

My point is that 3 new airports is a real bad result of the renovation of the country´s airports, Spain needs investment in airports. Maybe UKs air infraestructures are enough. Are they?

RE: SPAIN

I’m not sure what your point is. Is 3 new airports good or bad?

It is more than the UK.

I think you will need to accept the fact that if airports are in government ownership, they will always be underinvested. Nearly all airports are privately owned in the UK. Some are really nice, but others are horrible. At least competition means that there is a good choice of airports around the country, though Heathrow is nasty and too dominant.