Walter Finch
SPAIN is exploring plans to build its own passenger terminal at Gibraltar airport as part of proposals to create a cross-border transport hub serving more than 120,000 residents.
The radical scheme would see border town La Línea construct terminal facilities on Spanish soil to complement Gibraltar’s existing airport infrastructure following the post-Brexit agreement that will effectively eliminate the physical frontier.
According to a memorandum drafted by the La Linea city hall this month, the disappearance of border controls between Gibraltar and Spain has created an opportunity for the airport to operate as a single, integrated facility serving both territories.
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The proposed Spanish terminal would enable commercial air routes to operate directly to Spanish territory and improve connectivity to the region whilst potentially boosting La Línea’s economy through airport-related activities and services.
The development could fundamentally alter the airport’s dynamics, with the Spanish terminal likely to become the dominant gateway given that most passengers would be travelling onwards to Spain rather than remaining in Gibraltar’s small territory.
Officials in La Línea are now reviewing their urban development plans to assess whether land should be reserved for the hypothetical terminal, which would feature shared border controls and enhanced passenger facilities.
The airport expansion is part of a broader vision to transform La Línea into what planners describe as a a ‘strategic transport and commercial hub’, including itself with Gibraltar in a cross-border urban area that would function as a single conurbation despite spanning two jurisdictions.
Under the new post-Brexit arrangements, Gibraltar will be de facto integrated into the Schengen Area, with border controls shifting from the land frontier to the port and airport.
This has created what officials describe as the need for ‘coordinated planning’ between the two territories.
The memorandum suggests the expanded airport could anchor a proposed Cross-Border Innovation Park featuring technology clusters designed to attract international companies to the area.
However, the ambitious plans face significant infrastructure challenges.
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The existing A-7 motorway is already overloaded with traffic, and airport expansion would likely worsen congestion without major transport improvements.
Planners are redoubling their calls for La Linea to be given a stop in the proposed new Nerja to Algeciras Costa del Sol train line, while express bus services will need to be coordinated with flight schedules to manage the anticipated increase in passenger and freight traffic.
The proposals also include a new funding mechanism that would allow La Línea to receive direct income from shared airport operations with Gibraltar, helping finance municipal services in the Spanish town.
The airport development is so far the most significant infrastructure project to emerge from the post-Brexit arrangements, which have fundamentally altered the relationship between Gibraltar and its Spanish neighbour.
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