Monte Paraiso - Noticeboard


	NOTICEBOARD
	Air Link To Spain May Be Resumed

According to Spanish diplomatic sources agreement has been reached to restart flights between Gibraltar and Madrid, and an announcement is expected in the next few weeks.

Although there has been no official confirmation of the plan to reopen the route, closed since the closure of the border in 1969, the same sources claim that the UK and Spain are ready to resume regular flights, with three flights per week between Gibraltar and the Spanish capital.

There have been reports during the past two years that proposals were being discussed over the re-opening of the route as part of the round of Anglo-Spanish talks over the future status of Gibraltar.

The latest reports come just one week after the UK Civil Aviation Authority, which is responsible for Gibraltar's aviation operations, was involved in controversy over proposals to grant permission for the Argentine national airline to resume flights between Buenos Aires and the Falklands, which had been opposed by the Governor of the islands.

The reopening of the Madrid - Gibraltar route could similarly prove to be a thorny issue in Gibraltar, because of Spain's previous refusal to reopen the route unless the Airport Agreement, signed in the 80s, was implemented, which was seen in Gibraltar as a violation of Gibraltar's sovereignty rights.

The airport issue was one of the key issues during the Anglo/Spanish talks on joint sovereignty which saw the British Foreign Secretary for the first time since the closure of the border questioning the sovereignty of the isthmus upon which the airport is built, leading to angry reactions from Gibraltar and its politicians.