Agreement opens ‘huge and exciting potential’ for Gib airport

The political agreement for a treaty on Gibraltar’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU creates “huge and exciting potential” for flights to operate from the Rock to EU destinations.

To achieve this, Gibraltar has agreed to apply four areas of EU law relating to landing slots, charges, ground handling and the rights of passengers with reduced mobility, according to Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia, who has played a key role in negotiating the agreement and led on matters relating to the airport.

The four areas of EU law will be applied in Gibraltar through the Gibraltar Parliament and through Gibraltar’s own constitutional instruments, following the same legislative process as when Gibraltar was part of the EU.

A UK-EU Specialised Committee on Aviation will be part of the governance of the agreement, as will happen in other areas, in order to ensure that treaty requirements are complied with and EU standards are met where applicable.

As part of the agreement on the airport, a 50/50 joint venture between Gibraltar and Spain will be created with the sole purpose of awarding a tender to an operating company that will run the air terminal.

The joint venture will not own any assets – the terminal is owned by the Gibraltar Government and that will continue to be the case – and will be set up in Ireland, one of only three common-law jurisdictions in the EU, the others being Malta and Cyprus.

Dr Garcia said the arrangements will represent “enhanced use” of the airport, rather than joint use or control.

“That effectively means no change to the current operator without our consent and is distinct from [the] Cordoba [Agreement] where the operating company itself was 50/50,” he said.
The prospect of flights to EU destinations within the Schengen zone will also require changes to existing passenger flows within the air terminal itself.

This involves the use of some “Cordoba corridors” in the terminal building and other areas which are presently underutilised, as well as the realignment of some existing infrastructure.

“The aviation aspects of the treaty will open up Gibraltar airport to EU flights for the first time,” said Dr Garcia, who has ministerial responsibility for civil aviation.

“I have followed airport questions closely for decades.”
“The background today is very different to what it was when previous airport agreements were concluded in 1987 or 2006.”

“It is important to note that at that time Gibraltar was part of the EU and entitled to participate in its aviation progress as a matter of right.”

“When we exited the European Union in January 2021 we lost that right. This makes the context of where we are today completely different.”

“The opening up the airport for EU flights provides huge potential for tourism and exciting possibilities for further economic development.”

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said Dr Garcia had been “the most effective guardian of the airport and British sovereignty” in this aspect of the treaty negotiation.

“He has led from the front on this part of the negotiation and has delivered access to potential EU flights without compromising on our fundamentals,” Mr Picardo said.

“I have been proud to support him and [Attorney General] Michael Llamas in this aspect of our work to deliver an UK/EU treaty for Gibraltar.”