Melilla Airport

In the 1920s, several military aerodromes were built in area for the Air Arm of the Spanish Army:

• Ramel – now in Morocco
• Arcila – now in Morocco
• Zeluan – now in Morocco

Following the conflict between Spain and Morocco, a new military airfield was built near Cabrerizas Altas. This airport had a simple 300 m (984 ft) landing area. As tension settled and Spain was able to re-establish land around Melilla, this airport was relocated again further south of city.[4]

The new airport, Tauima Aerodrome, was opened for civilian flights 1931 and used also by the military.[5] The El Atalayón hydroplane air station (now site of oyster farm) in the Mar Chica was operational in the 1930s to provide additional air travel options using Dornier Do J seaplanes. In 1956 the end of the Spanish protectorate over northern Morocco placed the airport outside of control from Spain, although some investment from Spain was done in the aerodrome until 1958. Limited access to the airport was given to Melilla by secured bus until 1967. The Tauima aerodrome later became Nador International Airport.[6]

In 1969, the current airport was opened within Melilla's borders and was strictly a civilian facility. Spantax began operating on it, with a De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, and later, with a De Havilland Canada DHC-7.[6]

In 1980, Spantax was replaced by Aviaco, a subsidiary of Iberia at the time, which would use a Fokker F27.[7]

In 1992, Binter Mediterráneo would enter, also a subsidiary of Iberia, which operated with CN-235, and which later replaced Aviaco. It linked the city of Melilla with: Malaga, Almería, Valencia and, in its last year, with Madrid.[7]

In 1995, PauknAir entered service, which operated with BAe 146, and which broke Iberia's monopoly on operations from Melilla. It managed to connect the city with 7 national airports: Malaga, Madrid, Almería, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca and it was the first time that it connected the city of Melilla with Santiago de Compostela and Santander. This airline would cease its operations in 1998.[8]

Definitively, in 2001, Air Nostrum acquired Binter Mediterráneo, thus keeping the monopoly of the routes.[9]

In February 2005, the runway expansion works were completed, thus going from 1,344 meters to 1,428 meters.[7]

At the beginning of 2009, Air Europa carried out tests with the Embraer 195 in the LGW simulator to present them to Civil Aviation to obtain the corresponding permits, made maximum landing weight approaches, on both runways, in all types of weather conditions, with engine failure, etc. They also tested takeoffs with different flap settings and weights, and aborted takeoffs. It was determined that the plane landed perfectly at maximum landing weight, and to take off, tables were obtained from the technical office with the maximum permissible weights for each destination. In cases like Madrid-Melilla, the number of passengers had to be limited to 110. In the Melilla-Madrid, Malaga-Melilla and Melilla-Malaga; there was no limitation. The company, finally, could not operate in Melilla because the classification of the airport, category 2C, did not allow the operation of the Embraer 195, category 3C.[10]

At the beginning of 2011, Airmel announced that it was going to start operations from Melilla with a ATR 42-300, but it never started operations due to the airline's lack of commitment to continue with the incipient airline.[11]

On 21 November 2011 Helitt Líneas Aéreas began operations with the inaugural route Malaga-Melilla; a week later the line Melilla-Barcelona began to operate and on 2 December, the route Melilla-Madrid, all with daily flights; that once again broke with the monopoly of Air Nostrum in operations from and with Melilla. On 25 January 2013, it temporarily stopped offering commercial flights.[12]

That same year Ryjet began operations with Malaga-Melilla, ceased operations in 2012.[13]

At the beginning of 2013, there were rumors that Air Europa wanted to operate from Melilla, this time with one of its ATR 72-500, rumors that did not materialize.[14]

On 16 April 2013 Melilla Airlines began operations with the inaugural route Malaga-Melilla, making regional flights with Malaga, months later with Badajoz Airport, although the connections with Badajoz did not give results, the occupation of the route to the Costa del Sol was good. A year and a half later, it ceased operations.[15]

On 21 July 2014 Air Europa confirmed the previous rumors, took a step forward and decided to start operations with the inaugural route Malaga-Melilla with a first flight of around 90% occupancy.[16]

At the end of the year 2016, Iberia announced the cancellation of the routes with Almería and Granada, a fact materialized at the beginning of January 2017, as there was a notable adjustment of its national routes in general and its structure as an airline.[17]

Throughout the year 2018, the procedures for, under pressure from the Government of the Autonomous City itself and its citizens, given the widespread frustration and discomfort with the cancellation of the lines with Granada and Almería, are initiated, elaborated and formalized. after more than twenty years with daily and weekly flights, make the lines with Almería, Granada and Seville a Public Service Obligation (OSP). This data means the resumption of services with Granada and Almería, and the new service with Seville, all of which are scheduled for the end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019.[18]

On 30 November 2018 Hélity began operations with the inaugural route Ceuta-Melilla with a first flight of an AgustaWestland AW139.In January 2020 suspends the line with Melilla. The reason is that Melilla reported that helicopter operations at Melilla airport could only be carried out from sunrise to sunset.[19]

Just one year later, on 30 November 2019 Aena announced the change of category from 2C to 3C in March 2021. Then there was talk of the second semester of 2022. Then the exact date was given: 30 November 2022 and now the Government delegate postpones it within a maximum period of two months, which would place a new limit in March of this year. The airport changes to category 3C on 23 February 2023.[20]

In January 2022, Air Europa suspends the line with Melilla, the reason is that it will use its ATR 72 in the Canary Islands. The company has shown its interest in continuing to connect the city with the peninsula if the airport's classification changes or if the runway is expanded and larger aircraft such as the Embraer 195 of its fleet can land.[21]

Melilla Airport closed 2022 as the busiest year in its history, 447,450 travelers, bordering on its capacity limit of 500,000 passengers/year.[22]

At the beginning of 2023, the Romanian airline AirConnect proposed a connectivity plan for Melilla with Malaga, Madrid and other European cities such as Porto , Lisboa and Faro.[19]

The airlines serving the airport are regional carriers connecting to Spain to the north.[2] The airport is also a general aviation airfield and handles private small aircraft. There are no flights directed to airports in Morocco. In the past Melilla was also served by Spantax from 1969 to 1981, Aviaco from 1981 to 1992 and Binter Mediterraneo from 1992 to 2001.[6]

The terminal has a total of 6 check-in counters, 3 boarding gates and 2 baggage reclaim carousels. It also has a Support Office for Passengers, Users and Clients / It is in charge of processing the suggestions of the passengers on the services and facilities of the airport. It also has claim forms from Aena Aeropuertos; Security control, passport control and a Melilla Turismo Stand in the arrivals area.[26]

• Control tower[26]
• Runway 15/33: 1428 m
• Platform: 6 parking spaces.
• Helicopter Platform: 1 parking space
• Fire station

Number of passengers, operations and cargo since the year 2000:[29][30]

Year	Passenger	Diff. Last year	Operations	Diff. Last year	Cargo (t)	Diff. Last year
2000	263,751	——	8,916	——	650	——
2001	229,806	12.9%	8,707	2.3%	587	9.7%
2002	211,966	7.8 %	8,013	8.0 %	546	7.0 %
2003	223,437	5.4%	9,017	12.5%	479	12.3%
2004	245.102	9.7 %	9.098	0.9%	387	19.2%
2005	271,589	10.8%	9,296	2.2%	323	16.6%
2006	313,543	15.4%	10,696	15.1%	431	33.5%
2007	339,244	8.2%	11,146	4.2%	434	0.6%
2008	314,643	-7.3%	10,959	10.7%	386	11.0%
2009	293,695	6.7%	9,245	15.6%	350	9.2%
2010	292,608	0.4%	8,935	3.4 %	340	2.8%
2011	286,701	2.0 %	9,119	2.1%	265	22.0 %
2012	315,850	10.2%	9,922	8.8%	235	11.3%
2013	289,551	8.3%	7,893	20.4 %	164	30.2%
2014	319,603	10.4%	8,873	12.4%	136	17.0 %
2015	317,806	0.5%	8,409	5.2 %	136	0.2%
2016	330,116	3.9%	8,535	1.5%	141	3.8%
2017	324,366	1.7%	7,956	6.8 %	134	4.5%
2018	348,121	7.3%	8,085	1.6%	127	5.3%
2019	434,660	24.9%	9,768	20.8%	134	5.3%
2020	195,636	55.0%	5,158	47.2%	32	76.1%
2021	332,446	69.9%	7,828	51.8%	9	69.1%
2022	447,450	34.6%	9,772	24.8%	22	122.7%
2023	71,425	——	1,591	——	3,932	——
Source: Aena Statistics