Why a major airline is parking dozens of jets at remote airport in Spain | Travel News | Travel
A major airline is parking planes at a remote airport in Spain – and there is one reason why. Teruel airport is a repurposed military airbase ta hat’s home to a 2,825-metre-long runway, a control tower and modest terminal, but despite this, there aren’t any commercial flights from it.
The site has become a storage hub for Europe’s planes. The mostly empty site is eerie; it does not have the same buses as a usual airport. Instead, it seems more like a “graveyard” says the Olive Press. The airport has become a safe destination for airlines to store their planes when they’re not needed.
Airlines such as Qatar Airways have stored their expensive planes there, instead of leaving them in the Middle East amid recent conflict.
According to EuroNews, around 20 Qatar Airways aircraft have now been relocated to Teruel airport.
The move reflects the airline’s reduced flying schedule, with fewer aircraft needed as airspace restrictions limit operations from its hub at Hamad International Airport in Doha.
In a statement, Qatar Airways told Doha News: “Due to the current exceptional circumstances in the region and the resulting disruption to flight operations beyond our control, Qatar Airways has positioned some of its aircraft at selected airports outside Qatar.
“This is a temporary measure, and the aircraft will be progressively returned to service as flight operations are restored to normal levels.”
Spain’s conditions are good for long-term storage as the air is largely dry and low-humidity.
Since Teruel does not handle passengers, planes can sit without issue on the tarmac.
The airport’s operators cannot say how many more planes could arrive as the war continues, though several Middle Eastern airlines that fly regularly to Europe are among its regular clients, reports The Independent.
The airport can fit around 250 wide-body planes or 400 narrow-body planes, meaning there’s plenty of space.
This is not the first time that Teruel has become a hotspot for airlines looking to store their aircraft.
