News: Gibraltar finally gets flights to Spain
Flights > News > # 1128 (18/12/2006)
The first passenger flights between Gibraltar and Spain for nearly three decades have taken off.
Spain, which ceded Gibraltar to Britain in 1713 but still claims it, had blocked since the late 1960's, but a deal was agreed in September to restore air links.
A plane from Spanish national airline Iberia flew from Madrid to Gibraltar airport, while a British Airways flight headed the other way. Gibraltar’s chief minister, Peter Caruana, said: “This is extremely important. It opens possibilities for the citizens of this area. It’s an agreement in which everyone wins.”
The border was closed by Spanish dictator General Franco in 1969, and although road links were reopened in 1985, the block on flights remained. Any commercial aircraft flying in and out of Gibraltar were not allowed into Spanish airspace.
Iberia plans to run a daily service from Madrid, while British Airways is set to start regular flights to the Spanish capital from May.
Add to:
Related Airlines:
Related Airports:
