Here’s how its takeoff is being prepared for 2025
The Aragon government has begun work on the relaunch of Zaragoza airport and introduction of new routes and one or two permanent operating bases for companies such as Ryanair or Volotea until 2027. As EL PERIÓDICO DE ARAGÓN has already declared, this is “the goal of the legislature”, and two months ago the first serious contacts began to show this will and this road map.
From the regional executive, who largely bears the economic weight of the advertising contracts signed with airlines, those that have always been used to attract new companies, new routes and frequencies, They can clearly see the horizon of this “takeoff” at the Garrapinillos airstrip: “summer 2025.”
“As soon as we took office in September, the General Directorate of Transport and Tourism began to hold meetings with those responsible for strategic projects, foreign activities and Zaragoza tourism of the Zaragoza City Council. with the management of Zaragoza airport, with those responsible for Aena in Madrid and with the airlines who work at the airport, and with others who are interested in it,” Miguel Ángel Anía, director general of the Transport Authority of the Government of Aragon, told EL PERIÓDICO DE ARAGÓN.
“As a result of these meetings, a Working Group was established to maintain common ground with the sector and prepare a full presentation of the potential of the airport, city and region as a destination and origin of new flights”adds Aniya, confirming the contacts of the last two months and guaranteeing that “the reception from the companies is excellent and they are analyzing new routes because the development potential is very interesting for them.”
Aircraft shortage problem
So, What needs to happen to start seeing results and when will they appear? According to the Director General of Transport, “The main problem that companies face when implementing new frequencies or new routes is the shortage of aircraft, since Three major manufacturers – Airbus, Boeing and Embraer – are experiencing problems with the supply of key components.“. “Manufacturers have problems with the supply of new aircraft, and without aircraft it is impossible to increase flights. In addition, flight campaigns need to be planned many months in advance and are therefore very difficult to scale up in the short term,” Aniya explains to this newspaper.
So the horizon must definitely be next year, and in this sense the transport director-general believes that “the outlook is very favorable in the medium to long term.” “The new aircraft will be delivered in 2025, which will significantly increase flights in the summer campaign.although new routes will open earlier, as the devices arrive,” they say in the “Executive Committee.” However, even before this date some green shoots are expected: “Starting from April, the frequency of some existing routes will be increased, and new routes will open at the beginning of 2025.”promises the CEO.
And what will these destinations be? “We still don’t know what areas will be involved and companies will announce them,” says Aniya, who also adds that they too “is working to connect new intercontinental cargo routes with airlines specializing in cargo transportation.”. And increasing cargo volumes at Zaragoza airport is another priority for 2024, which began with an increase in tons transported compared to the previous year.
However, as far as travelers are concerned, Anya insists that “Companies don’t want to talk about directions until everything is finalized.such as “slots” (reserved places for landing and take-off at international airports, which depending on the destinations are already very full), permits, services…”When the time comes, they will be publicly available to open ticket purchases.“, notes the general director.
“The working group will present to each company a personalized report indicating the most suitable areas for each of them, taking into account their bases of activity and their current implementation, as well as data on potential demand in the Ebro Valley. It will be They will be able to determine the routes for the 2025 summer campaign.“, he concludes.
Although it is too early to say which destinations will appear in this report, there is known interest from Zaragoza and Aragon in some routes, although publicly they do not want to give too much publicity. More than anything else, because they on the administration’s radar as targets such as communications with Rome (the one that will have the greatest market potential in the community), or Germans from Berlin and Frankfurt.
Amsterdam was also in this range Of the possibilities, routes from Morocco (currently Marrakech, and Fes joining this month) are popular, and others are being considered cities such as Casablanca or Tangier, with a more tourist profile. And at the national level, preferences pass through Seville, Malaga and, above all, the restoration of the flight to Ibiza that was lost two years ago.on the Balearic Islands.