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Antonio Sánchez Hernández used the overwhelming logic of the field. "I imagine it will open and then close it," he says, pointing to what the posters call "International Airport of the Region of Murcia." Antonio, 72, a retired mason and farmer in his spare time, watering their 20 acres of land to try to save the harvest.
The airport pointing across the road is a gray building with stainless steel blades. It's nice and say it has won design awards. You can not go, see the bushes just hovering between the track, the empty parking lot, the unused control tower. Not a commercial flight has landed here among almond and fruit, although the facility, which cost 266 million euros, has completed one year. A list of shame, no aircraft-Castellón airport, Ciudad Real, Huesca ... -, excl Corvera, with less advertising and without being opened.
Murcia would be Florida. Or better, California. In the bubble, proliferatedresorts , thousands of homes and golf courses, near the coast to attract British. The regional government of the PP, joined the party. Money seemed to be a problem. Thus was born the turnpike Cartagena-Vera, covering 100 kilometers of unspoilt coastline to service future developments. After going to go Marina de Cope, a behemoth in a natural park. The icing was a private airport to attract swarms of tourists.Regional president, Ramón Luis Valcárcel, not enough with the great Alicante airport, 75 km from Murcia. Or the partial use of the military base in San Javier, Murcia.
So in 2006 awarded a consortium led by Sacyr the construction of this airport . "It is unique because it has consisted of one euro is public ownership of the community," he says in his office the director general of Transport, Antonio Sanchez-Solis. At the entrance of counseling there is a large model of the airport. And in front of the office of director, other.
The plan calls for closing another public aerodrome which invested 70 million."With these passenger flights will"
In 2008, to begin work, he soon saw that nothing was going as planned."Then down bank financing and the dealership is difficult, are blocked negotiations with financial institutions, and independent community came to the rescue logically avalándole Dealers. That's not supposed to have put a penny, "says Sanchez-Solis.
The "help" was a guarantee of 200 million to the project community. The PP introduced in an amendment to the 2010 budget and so linked its fate to the play. If the grant bankruptcy, banks-Caixabanc, Espirito Santo, Caixa Tarragona, Caja Segovia, Cajasol, ICO and Tarragona-box to require 200 million in debt and a community that in 2012 had to borrow 527 million Liquidity Fund Autonomic. "It was time to drop the work and nothing would have happened, but Valcárcel was determined to follow, "says a source familiar with the plan that requires anonymity.
With the support of the community credit flowed and works pick up pace again. They ended a year ago, according to the project, although there was no ribbon cutting and champagne. The image of the fiascos of Castellon and Murcia City Real flies. No politician will open it without a plane. "It is under equipment and missing some authorizations" qualifies responsible for regional transportation, who gives no date for its opening: "It would be unwise." The archive is full of ads for the upcoming opening of the airport.
The main problem is that, at 35 kilometers, the Ministry of Development has just invested 70 million in improving the airport of San Javier. AENA, the company responsible for managing the civil part, built between 2004 and 2011 a new terminal, new runway and a control tower. And it requires that the community or the new airport is the pay. "Neither the community nor the dealer have the money. What we can do is to pierce those assets to the Ministry of Defense, "an insider says of the project.
Turnpike and they completed the work megaurbanización have fallen and investors are nervous
The situation is diabolical: a new airport 266 million required to close another public, which is 35 kilometers and in which to invest 70 million just anyone can make. "Valcárcel was determined to have his AENA airport when he knew that was investing in San Javier. He said he would triple the number of tourists and there is nothing ", criticizes Retegui Begoña García, Socialist spokesman. In Murcia tort wields over Alicante. "Murcia has traditionally been punished in communications. The Mediterranean stop in Alicante, until recently did not have a motorway to Madrid and no split rail network. And that is a tourist area, "Sanchez-Solis argues.Murcia's government insists it will not be another airport without planes.Valcarcel said that there is an airfield "to walk", alluding to Castellon, who became "the greater glory of the father of the baby" - dart against Carlos Fabra and daughter Andrea.
Although the community says that everything is in order and there is no risk to the guarantee, the months and the shareholders are concerned.Along with Sacyr-that when the work was launched presiding Luis del Rivero-Murcia is in Murcia capital companies (El Pozo and Cementos Cruz), banks (CAM and Caja Murcia) and Real Estate (Montoro and Sons and Inprisma). Each of these has a share of around 6%, but some are beginning to tire of paying interest and have no opening date.Montoro and Sons has already called out the shareholders, the company said.
Even if AENA accepts close the airport of San Javier, clouds remain. The numbers which are mounted the business are now more than doubtful: passenger traffic in San Javier has fallen from two million in 2007 to 1.2 in 2012. If Corvera absorb all traffic from San Javier would not reach 5.2 million passengers in 2015, as provided in the contract. "If you open, public support should be given immediately, as has been done with toll roads. Furthermore, it would have closed the public airport, "says a source in the back of the operation. The dealership does not comment on the situation, although some people remember to renegotiate the terms of the concession is a common practice.
Unaware of the negotiations between Sacyr, AENA and the community, in the discouragement rife. Land owners have claimed claim that only a fraction of the expropriation. Ascension Noguera is among the 90 owners affected: "I am paying a mortgage on the land of lemons I bought with all the enthusiasm and now there is nothing." At least, she says, she worked in the construction of the airport. Pending the training staff, but are delayed again and again.
Antonio Sanchez, the farmer turns to look around him and diagnosed: "No hard. The money is gone. At the resort 's 1,500 houses and 20 families live. Foreigners are tired of them cheat. " Talk smiling, leisurely, without rancor, but every sentence is a blow: "The airport was not necessary, but they have been wrong all. What we had to do in thirty years we did it in less than ten. My daughter is a teacher and her school have no oil for heating. The only aircraft that I see here is the pivot ".And he points out the irrigation system pipes passing air over his head.
The motorway Cartagena-Vera is in bankruptcy and the law allowing megaurbanización Cope Marine in a nature reserve on the coast has been annulled by the Constitutional. Do you save the airport from the curse of the Pharaohs of Murcia plans?