Second runway needed

HOTELIERS in the Valencia Region are campaigning for the construction of a second runway at Alicante-Elche airport.

Hotel association Hosbec president Fede Fuster and regional business chiefs met with the president of national airport managing body Aena, Maurici Lucena, last week to learn about the investments planned for Alicante-Elche and to insist on the importance of the second runway.

Sr Fuster recalled that “the main line of business at Alicante airport is international traffic, which accounts for 85 per cent of the total and continues to break records for operations and passengers every month, which is why all the planning of necessary infrastructures, such as the second runway, must be brought forward”.

The planning of new infrastructures for Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández airport is said to be essential for the plans of continuous growth that include boosting the North American market, which is part of the tourism sector’s medium and long-term objectives.

Hosbec has announced that it will resume the agenda of contacts with US airlines after the summer season as a continuation of the work that began with the institutional visit to New York last March.

Alicante-Elche is the fifth main airport in Spain by number of travellers and is a key tourism infrastructure for the Costa Blanca.

More than 14,700 flights with over 3.5 million seats are scheduled to pass through the airport this summer, which represents a growth of more than 10 per cent with regards to 2022.

The UK accounts for the largest fraction of traffic, 34 per cent, with 1.2 million seats and a growth of almost 7 per cent compared to last year.

The main British airports connected to Alicante are Manchester, London Gatwick, Bristol, London Stansted, East Midlands, and Leeds Bradford.

By airlines, the leaders continue to be those with the most international connections, namely Ryanair, EasyJet and Jet2.

The recovery of the German market is also significant, which this summer will double the number of flights and seats compared to last year.