As the economic loss to the region, following the closure of San Javier Airport, becomes ever more apparent, the C’s have demanded that the regional government urgently develop a plan that will boost the local economy and tourism “to offset the negative impact that the airport closure will have to the municipality and its region.”
With the closure of the airport announced for the end of 2018, Antonio Murcia and Miguel Sanchez, the Regional spokesmen for Murcia and San Javier said, “The so-called ‘popular alliance’ between the mayor, José Miguel Luengo, and the regional government has deeply hurt San Javier, with the loss of the airport.”
“We have asked what plans they have at the local and regional level to replace the losses that our economy will suffer, but there has been no response. There is only silence and lack of direction, amplified by the initial decision of the regional government to build a new airport while the State continued to invest in a second runway in San Javier, a profitable airport that is now going to close.”
The C’s councillor reminded the mayor that “you cannot leave everything until the last moment, you cannot live in sin and repent at the last moment.”
On the Mar Menor, Miguel Sánchez said that “we will be vigilant in ensuring that the promised investment for the regeneration of the Mar Menor, 28.8 million euros thanks to the C’s, is a non-negotiable issue and is wisely spent”.
He said that the whole issue must be depoliticised, the money must be invested well and with expert guidance.
However as AENA announced that they intend to have Corvera airport operational as soon as possible, but no later than the end of 2018, the air traffic control contract is the latest agreement to be readied for tender. It is thought that the term will be awarded for a period of eight years at a cost of a million euros a year,
However one Leader reader, who did not wish to be named, was adamant that AENA’s timeframe is extremely unlikely saying “it is not going to happen. They can posture all they like. Regardless of the AENA statements, the air field systems are out of date. None of the tech is future proofed; it’s been switched off, unmaintained and sweating through umpteen summers, with no air conditioning. It will all have to be replaced or refurbished at an astronomical cost.”
“As will the ILS, Instrument Landing System, which is the most critical system of all at any airport. And there are innumerable others, communication systems (air ground air), direction finding equipment to name but a few.”
“I did this for a living and critical airworthiness systems are very sensitive beasts, even when they are operational. The airport infrastructure will have to pass new stringency tests all over again by licensed inspectors. It will all take a great deal of time, effort and money, and I feel that it is little more than window dressing to suit someone’s political aspirations.”
