Huelva Cristobal Colon Airport

Huelva Cristobal Colon Airport is a new airport project at Huelva in southwestern Spain, the capital of the province of Huelva in the autonomous region of Andalusia. The airport has been planned for at least five years but little progress has been made.

May-2017. Huelva Cristobal Colon Airport construction could receive approval in the next six months, following the delivery of the master plan to the Spanish Civil Aviation Authority 

Oct-2015. Andalucía Minister of Tourism and Sport Francisco Javier Fernandez said the regional government supports the project of constructing an airport in Huelva with private investment. He said such a project would be "good for Helva and good for Anadalusia".

17-Sep-2015. Andalusia Regional Government President Susana Diaz stated the administration "will not give up" on construction of the Huelva Cristobal Colon Airport. However, Ms Diaz also said the project now demands "greater effort and commitment".

Sep-2015. Provincial Council of Huelva stated it expects to sell shares in the Sociedad Gestora Aeropuerto Cristobal Colon (Management Company of Cristobal Colon Airport), to recover public funds invested, "when the [Huelva Cristobal Colon Airport] project becomes a reality". Following a capital increase of the Management Company, the Council maintains a 46.57% stake, Huelva Desarrollo y Progreso has a 50.9% share and the Chamber of Commerce has 2.45%.

A Board of Directors was appointed on 30-Jul-2015. The amount to be invested in the construction of the new airport infrastructure is estimated to be some EUR85 million (USD92.3 million). The airport is considered necessary because Huelva should have 576,000 foreign tourists each year to satisfy hotel room supply. Presently there are only 175,000, while 85% of foreign tourists who visit arrive by aircraft, and many of them through Portugal. The new Chairman of the board has estimated that 12,000 jobs could be achieved in tourism thanks to this infrastructure and the economic impact on the province would be EUR1.15 billion. The provincial entity owns 95% of the project and the Chamber of Commerce 5%.