Ghost Stirs

Ryanair have become the first operator to run scheduled services out of one of Spain’s infamous ghost airports, Castellón, with the first commercial flight into the north Valencian region airport since it opened four years ago. The first service last Tuesday morning flew in from Stansted, with Ryanair launching a thrice weekly service, as well as a twice weekly service later in the year with Bristol. The aircraft and the virgin runway it landed on were “blessed” with water cannons, as crowds of workers cheered the arrival.

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Castellón airport was opened to much fanfare in March 2011, but despite a 30 million euro publicity campaign, no airline operators were interested in flying there. The airport came to symbolise the huge amounts of money spent by the Spanish government on “white elephant” projects. Ryanair struck a deal to fly to and from the airport earlier this year. It’s hoped that other operators will follow.