The Andorra-La Seu airport runway lighting drill, carried out last week, has been the definitive test by which the airport installation is ready to allow the take-off and landing of aircraft on night flights. The drill took place in the presence of the Andorran Minister of the Presidency, Economy and Business, Jordi Gallardo, and the Minister of Territories of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Juli Fernández.
This step was essential to make the Andorran airport more operational and establish a greater number of air connections. The infrastructure lighting works have taken five months and their cost has risen to 1.05 million euros, which have been fully paid by the Catalan Administration. The tasks to improve the installation have consisted of the location of three lighting towers with LEDs and eleven light towers with collection and solar energy batteries. Likewise, the track has been adapted with obstacle lights, LEDs and pipes on its sides. An aerodrome lighthouse has been placed in the control tower.
With these technical modifications, the airport will be able to accommodate night traffic and, therefore, improve its usefulness, although the lighting of the infrastructure will only take place when there must be operations to reduce the visual and energy impact. From now on, the State Aviation Safety Agency (AESA) will have to certify the works and grant the necessary permits to use the lighting, after the visit of its technicians to the facility.
Jordi Gallardo expressed his satisfaction with the works and stated that "the operating time slots will be extended and the door will thus be opened to new flight schedules that should allow the achievement of higher occupancy rates." The Andorran minister also highlighted the efforts of both the Principality's Executive and the Generalitat "to make this infrastructure grow, which is crucial in our strategy of disenclavement." In relation to the upcoming challenges for the facility, Jordi Gallardo pointed out that "it must be equipped with a control point for people and goods and, in this way, strengthen the Andorra-La Seu airport as an international infrastructure with flights from more beyond the Schengen area.
Until now, the only connection is carried out by the Air Nostrum company to unite the principality with Madrid. In any case, Andorra has the will to launch three tenders this 2023 to operate flights to Palma (Mallorca), Paris and London. The destination to fly to the capital of the United Kingdom will be subject to the possibility of establishing a customs point at the Pyrenean airport, since London is currently outside the Schengen area.
