Melilla Airport is an airport in the Spanish autonomous city of Melilla, an exclave of Spain in north Africa. The airport is located about southwest of the city center, near the border with Morocco. It is the only airport in Spanish territory on the African coast. The airport currently ranks twenty-ninth at national level in terms of passenger numbers. It has the capacity to move up to 500,000 passengers and the annual average of passengers is around 490,000. In 2024 it reached 507,957 passengers. Currently, only one airline, Iberia Regional/Air Nostrum, operates commercial passenger flights from the airport to eleven Spanish cities: Almería, Asturias, Barcelona, Granada, Gran Canaria, Madrid, Málaga, Palma de Mallorca, Santiago de Compostela, Seville and Tenerife North.Between 1931 and 1967 Melilla was served by the Tauima Aerodrome (now Nador International Airport), even when Morocco had gained its independence in 1956. This Spanish controlled airport opened in 1969.
Schedule Air operations hours are between 07:15 and 22:15 throughout the year.
History
20th century In the 1920s, several military aerodromes were built in the 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 landing area. As tension settled and Spain was able to re-establish land around Melilla, this airport was relocated again further south of city.
The new airport, Tauima Aerodrome, was opened for civilian flights 1931 and used also by the military. 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.
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.
In 1980, Spantax was replaced by Aviaco, a subsidiary of Iberia at the time, which would use a Fokker F27.
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: Málaga, Almería, Valencia and, in its last year, with Madrid.
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: Málaga, 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.
In 1997, a historical record of 351,569 passengers was broken.
Sadly, PauknAir ceased operations after one of its planes crashed in 1998. After these events, a new VOR radio aid was built to support aircraft without having a published approach.
21st century For 2000, Aena anticipated a volume of 500,000 passengers per year, but the fatal PauknAir accident in 1998 and the subsequent construction of the Nador airport cut short the growth. Falling from 365,000 annual passengers (1,000 pax/day) to around 220,000 annually.
Definitively, in 2001, Air Nostrum acquired Binter Mediterráneo, thus keeping the monopoly of Melilla routes: Málaga, Almería, Valencia and Madrid. It began operating with Fokker 50, Dash 8 and later with ATR 72. Today is carrying out regional flights for Iberia.
In 2002, the new control tower was inaugurated, as well as new improvements to the airport infrastructure in the city.
In 2003, the departure of a Fokker 50 from the Dutch company Denim Air, operating for Air Nostrum, forced the replacement of the company's Fokker 50 and Dash 8 with the new ATR 72.
In 2004, Vueling carried out studies to implement the Barcelona-Melilla route, but never began operations due to the dimensions of the runway and the category of the airport. This route was moved to Nador. That same year, Airmel-Club Aéreo de Melilla appears teaching private airplane pilot classes, thus adding to the multiple visits of small planes, rallies and aerial hugs that have been taking place in the city throughout its history.
In February 2005, the runway expansion works were completed, thus going from 1,344 meters to 1,428 meters.
In October 2006, Air Nostrum began operating the Barcelona route, launching 4 weekly flights; and in March 2007 the operation was increased with a daily flight, reaching the record number for the route with 21,212 passengers transported.
In 2008, Air Nostrum implemented the Seville, Palma de Mallorca and Valencia routes, operated by the Dash 8. In addition, that same year, the airport obtained the European ISO 9001 quality and ISO 14001 environmental management certification.
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. For routes like Madrid-Melilla, the number of passengers had to be limited to 110. In the Melilla-Madrid, Málaga-Melilla and Melilla-Málaga flights; 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.
At the beginning of 2011, Airmel announced that it was going to start operations from Melilla with an ATR 42-300, but it never started operations due to the airline's lack of commitment to continue with the incipient airline.
On 21 November 2011, Helitt Líneas Aéreas began operations with the inaugural route Málaga-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. That same year Ryjet began operations with Málaga-Melilla, ceased operations in 2012.
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.
On 16 April 2013, Melilla Airlines began operations with the inaugural route Málaga-Melilla, making regional flights with Málaga, 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.
On 21 July 2014, Air Europa confirmed the previous rumors, took a step forward and decided to start operations with the inaugural route Málaga-Melilla with a first flight of around 90% occupancy.
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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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.
Melilla Airport closed 2022 as the busiest year in its history, 447,450 travelers, bordering on its capacity limit of 500,000 passengers/year.
At the beginning of 2023, the Romanian airline AirConnect proposed a connectivity plan for Melilla with Málaga, Madrid and other European cities such as Porto, Lisbon and Faro.
In July 2023, the government of Melilla requested that the airlines with Madrid and Málaga be declared Public Service Obligations, the extension of the airport's schedule and landing strip.
In October 2023, EasyJet and Binter Canarias showed their interest in operating in Melilla and the need to expand the landing strip for their respective Airbus A319 and Embraer 195-E2. In addition, Aena gave the go-ahead so that, starting in April 2024, the airport's hours will be between 07:15 and 22:15 throughout the year. Also, Aena put out to tender the work to expand the airport's departure lounge. In addition, the local government announced tourist vouchers that will subsidize 75% of air transportation to "non-resident" travelers in Melilla.
Melilla airport closed 2023 with a total of 501,069 passengers and 10,755 operations, exceeding, for the first time in its history, half a million travelers and 10,000 landings and takeoffs in one year and exceeding 100% of its capacity limit. 500,000 passengers/year.
In November 2024, following the cancellations and diversions to Málaga due to low clouds, the Government of Melilla presented a non-legislative proposal in the Congress of Deputies, the main objective of which is to ask the Government of Spain to create a technical commission to study both the extension of the runway and the elements of satellite navigation that are viable for the Melilla airport. In addition to declaring the Málaga and Madrid lines as a public service obligation.
At the end of 2024, Moeve has supplied sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to Air Nostrum at Melilla Airport. The energy company thus becomes the first company to offer this biofuel in the autonomous city, as it also recently did at airports in the Canary Islands.
The year 2024 has marked the record for the "highest volume of traffic" in the history of Melilla airport, with a total of 507,957 passengers and 10,977 flights.