Next Friday, the Andorra-La Seu airport will launch its second regular line: Palma. The link with Mallorca joins the existing one with Madrid. This started two years ago and has been consolidated, both to reach the Spanish capital and vice versa, and to connect there with more destinations with a single stopover.
The flights are operated by Air Nostrum, a franchisee of Iberia and on which the Government chaired by Xavier Espot opted to have solvent and regular air links for their country. The Andorran Executive financially supports the viability of the line through an annual contract that fluctuates depending on flight occupancy. This was already renewed at the end of 2022 and it is expected to be able to sign it again for the next year.
“Our company's operation from Andorra-La Seu makes perfect sense from a strategic and commercial point of view, especially because it puts Andorra on the world map thanks to its connectivity with more than 90 international and national destinations through Terminal 4 of Barajas. That is the main value that the Air Nostrum flights promoted by the Government provide,” indicates Antonio de Nó, director of institutional relations and communication of the Valencian airline.
If for the route with Mallorca there are already reservations for connecting passengers from Ibiza and Menorca with a stopover in Palma, the one that connects this mountain airport with Madrid already has a series of frequent final destinations. Thus, apart from the passengers who use the plane to travel point to point from Andorra to Barajas, the islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria, along with Lisbon, Vigo and Santiago, are the most popular destinations among its passengers. In these two years of operation, it has also been used by passengers who have traveled from Lima, Doha, Buenos Aires or New York to Andorra-La Seu, checking in on another continent, changing planes in Madrid and recovering their luggage at the small air terminal in the Pyrenees.
“The geographical characteristics of Andorra-La Seu are very demanding and for these flights we have a specific aircraft: the Franco-Italian ATR 72 turboprops. Since the 1990s we have flown with this model to airports that also have special operating conditions such as San Sebastian. or Melilla, so our operations department is one of the most experienced among European regional airlines,” concludes De Nó.
La Seu was initially an airport of private initiative and ownership. It is currently experiencing a stage of growth in the hands of the public company Aeroports de Catalunya, in charge of its management and marketing. It renamed the facility, putting the name Andorra before it because that Government co-finances a facility that is only 15 kilometers from its border.
“Regular flights give life and prestige, although our airport also has many more activities. Important emergency services are managed, it generates economic activity, employment and is very active, adding more than 17,000 flight operations in the last three years," says Daniel Albalate, president and CEO of Aeroports de Catalunya, which also manages Lleida-Alguaire. and the nearby La Cerdanya airfield. Albalate highlights the increase in corporate activity with jet and turboprop flights from all over Europe, to the point that the Andorra Aviation Group company has opened its FBO or own terminal for private aviation users. 14 companies have set up shop at the airport, some with their aircraft, both private and for passenger transport, training or aerial work. The facility is also the base for a helicopter from the Special Actions Group of firefighters and also has an emergency heliport operational 24 hours a day.
