What's happening with Sabadell Airport? Between Aena's neglect and local complaints

SabadellWith the expansion project under wayBarcelona airport is the focus of Aena's planned investment for the coming years, to the detriment of other Catalan airports such as Girona and Reus. But Sabadell airport is the worst affected. Of the unprecedented budget that has projected The Sabadell Chamber of Commerce criticizes the lack of attention given to its own airport, which is managed by the state-owned airport operator Aena, valued at nearly €13 billion. "We feel absolutely mistreated," explains Pere Jordi Puig, president of the Chamber's urban planning, infrastructure, and transport division. Without commercial flights, Sabadell Airport is very different from those of Barcelona, ​​Girona, and Reus. Opened in 1934, and playing a prominent role during the Spanish Civil War, it is dedicated to private aviation, aeronautical training, and emergency services, with similar examples in Spain such as Cuatro Vientos (Madrid) and Son Bonet (Mallorca). With a fleet of approximately 200 aircraft, mostly helicopters and light aircraft, the facility handles around 6,500 passengers annually and employs some 500 people from various training schools, workshops, and companies, in addition to Aena staff, according to data from the Sabadell Chamber of Commerce. "It's an airport that isn't losing money, but it could be more profitable," Puig points out.

The corporation is adamant about Aena's neglect and laments that the airport's last master plan, approved in 2001, has become obsolete and has never been fully implemented. "We think it's unlikely it can be updated given the time that has passed. Twenty-four years have gone by, and the planned allocation of 17 million euros is now completely irrelevant. We believe it's better to create a new one, because many of the demands made then are still relevant today," Puig emphasizes.

The 2001 master plan set a timeframe extending to 2015, a deadline that has been far exceeded without some of its objectives being met. For example, it aimed to reach 65,000 operations annually, but last year, almost ten years later, only 58,700 operations were achieved. It is also far from the infrastructure's estimated operating limit of 75,000 operations. "This trend demonstrates an overestimation of demand by the master plan and a direct consequence of the lack of investment and infrastructure upgrades that have limited the growth of air traffic," criticize business leaders. Among their requests to reverse the situation, the main one is to develop the industrial zone to attract more companies. "It's an underutilized infrastructure, and there's enough space for more activity. The airport has great potential to become an attractive aeronautical cluster. Here, the industry is scattered, and the opportunity to develop synergies is being lost," emphasizes Puig. With almost a hectare of land available, the metalworking sector in Vallès would be one of the main beneficiaries. This opportunity makes even more sense now that Alguaire Airport, which depends on the Catalan government, is running out of space after having implemented, precisely, a more business-oriented model.

The chamber also advocates extending the duration of concessions to incentivize concessionaires to invest more, as is the case at larger airports like Barcelona's, and improving access to the infrastructure, which is very close to the AP-7 and C-58 highways, although access is only possible via the BV-1414. "It's a disaster: the signage is terrible and people get lost," says Rosa Pasquets, manager of the Sabadell Aeroclub, one of the airport's main tenants. She also points out that the arrival of Ikea, located less than two kilometers away, forced a change in access and ended up lengthening the journey. "The airport is turning its back on Sabadell," adds Puig. Public transport is also discouraged, with a nearby commuter rail station that lacks easy connections. Business owners are also calling for extended opening hours, currently restricted to daylight hours, despite having the necessary infrastructure to operate at night. "It's very limiting," criticizes Puig. A similar complaint is made by the Sabadell Aeroclub. Focused on pilot training, some of their courses have to be held in Girona, Reus, or Lleida due to the impossibility of extending flight hours, as Pasquets explains. In the morning, they can't start taking off before nine, nor can they refuel or start the engines, and in winter it gets dark very early.

This is one of the first points of contention with nearby residents who complain about the noise and risks posed by the facility. As has happened in El Prat with Gavà, Sabadell Airport has become surrounded by neighborhoods that suffer the consequences of its activity, especially those in Badia, Barberà, and Sant Quirze. "To fly at night, they have to take off over Barberà or Sant Quirze," says Jordi Molins, spokesperson for the Vallès Neighborhood Movement Coordinator, who is particularly critical of private jets that disregard regulations and take off from unauthorized locations. They also warn of the danger of living so close to such infrastructure: since the late 1990s, there have been 44 accidents, seven of them fatal, all linked to aviation activity, according to a report by the Institut Cerdà. "The big problem is that planes keep crashing. It's the sword of Damocles hanging over us," Molins warns.

For the Sabadell Chamber of Commerce, there's another issue to address: extending the runway. Currently, the airport has a single runway, 900 meters long and 30 meters wide, plus a 149-meter safety zone, spread over an area of approximately 77 hectares. "The runway is 200 meters short. This would allow for operations with larger aircraft, for private flights or air taxis," argues Puig, although he declines to discuss how this extension should be carried out. The small planes and helicopters that can operate at Sabadell Airport have a wingspan of between 8 and 12 meters, with a maximum capacity of about six passengers: they are far from the commercial aircraft used by airlines, which are around 35 meters in wingspan.

An investment of 30 million

Excluding the runway extension, the Sabadell Chamber of Commerce estimates that the budget for the necessary upgrades to the airport is around €30 million. This figure is significantly lower compared to the €3.2 billion that will be allocated. to expand El Prat"Aena is planning an investment of almost €13 billion. We would like to take a portion of that and allocate it to Sabadell Airport. With just €30 million, a lot can be done," Puig maintains. The airport operator's plans for the coming years do not specify the amount that will be allocated to this airport.