Andorra La Seu d'Urgell airport is owned by the Government of Catalonia (Generalitat de Catalunya), which manages the facilities and launches marketing initiatives. In 2015, an agreement was signed between Andorra and Catalonia. It allows Andorra to invest and cooperate with Catalonia in the management of the hub, which currently only hosts on-demand flights by business aviation or medical flights.
In the midst of a pandemic and with air traffic at an all-time low, what are Andorra's reasons for developing the airport?
Eric Bartolomé - After several years of negotiations, last year we were finally able to install a GPS guidance system at the airport, which will enable us to track the flight of our passengers.accommodate regular services. This will enable aircraft of the ATR 42 or 72 type [editor's note: propeller planes. to come to the airport in complete safety. Finally, it allows us to decide on a development strategy for the hub and the destinations that can be served.
Is an airport an essential asset for Andorra?
Eric Bartolomé - Andorra has a a real need to open up the region. it should be borne in mind that 99% of arrivals are by road, in particular via the Pas de la Case on the French side and La Seu d'Urgell on the Spanish side. It's important for us to be able to link the country to the outside world. We see this when we talk to investors. Some are reluctant to set up here precisely because of theno overhead lines. For companies, the air route remains a major advantage.
Which lines, and for what traffic potential?
Eric Bartolomé - Priority is given to the two cities with the highest demand: Madrid and Paris. These are destinations that are popular with both leisure and business travellers. And they offer global connectivity to our country. This would, for example, help to popularise short stays for visitors, particularly during the winter season. We estimate that the airport could handle an initial 80,000 to 100,000 passengers a year. In the medium term, there could also be other opportunities. regional lines in Spain and France, for example with Toulouse.
start seasonal flights by the end of 2021
What stage have the talks with the airlines reached?
Eric Bartolomé - We are in contact with many national carriers. There is also the private company Air Andorra. We are optimistic about the possibility of starting seasonal flights by the end of 2021. Before we have year-round routes.
Is it easy to get to the airport from Catalonia? Are you working on improving access to the airport from Andorra la Vella?
Eric Bartolomé - The platform is at thirty minutes from the capitalIt is about 25 km from the airport, which has an excellent road. From the border, the airport is only a dozen kilometres away. In the future, if there is significant demand, we plan to build a cable car. It's an environmentally-friendly means of transport that is independent of weather conditions.
