Construction will soon start on Spain’s first privately-operated international airport. The Spanish government has given its approval to a consortium calling itself Ciudad Real Aeropuertos to build and operate Don Quijote Airport, which will be located 180 km south of Madrid.

Executive aviation will figure heavily on the new site. Marketing manager Pedro Saenz de Buruaga explained: “We will have one apron dedicated to regular airline passengers and another apron dedicated to GA. The GA apron will feature a luxury vip lounge, a training centre with a flying school and a helicopter base.

“The airport will be situated near the second largest hunting region in the world, so we are expecting to handle a number of wealthy vips flying their own aircraft over. Game here includes everything from deer and goats to rabbits.”

The airport’s construction is expected to be complete by 2005 for a 2006 opening, although final checks with the ICAO are needed to qualify the airport. “We’re not yet in a position to predict numbers for business aviation movements; it will depend on how well we approach the handling. Hopefully there will be around 4,000 movements after the initial four years. We are currently sourcing different companies to

offer vip services and FBO facilities and I’m sure there will be no shortage of people putting offers on the table,” said Buruaga.

The airport will have no restrictions on aircraft size, with the planned runway measuring 4,000 metres long and 60 metres wide. Buruaga explained that he’s expecting top-end long-range aircraft from all over the world: “Passengers will include kings and princes interested in hunting, especially from the Far East. Consequently we will also provide a helicopter service and luxury 4-wheel drive vehicles to ferry hunters to the reserves, with maximum security provisions.”

The arrival of the airport to the Ciudad Real region will mark a general expansion in the area. Buruaga said: “There will be a huge industrial park of around 1,000 hectares completed. In fact it’s going to develop into a complete city here for commercial activity, with two hotels and numerous other developments.”

Until now, visitors to the region have had to fly to Madrid Airport and drive to the hunting reserves. “We’re very sure that the airport will attract hunters away from Madrid Airport. Our main business will be aircraft coming over from North and South America along with the Far East. The handling costs will be much cheaper than Madrid and with a high-speed train station within the terminal, passengers can be in downtown Madrid within 40 minutes.”

Along with high-level vips, CR Aeropuertos is also expecting to handle a number of perishable cargo flights (including tomatoes and peppers) from the south of Spain to North America. Fish will also be flown in from South America and South Africa.

Transportation will be aided by 24-hour operations and a system of motorways connecting the airport to the rest of Spain, travelling north, south, east and west.

Perishables warehousing will accompany aircraft hangarage and maintenance facilities as just some of the buildings on site.