Gibraltar Airport.

Fly to Gibraltar Airport.

Next time you are flying to southern Spain, whether it is to the Costa del Sol or the Costa de Luz, consider flying into Gibraltar airport. It is a small friendly airport and there is usually a minimum of fuss and delay.

The airport is located close to the Spanish border and about 2 kms. from Gibraltar town centre, you actually have to walk across the runway to get there! although there is a good bus service and taxis too.

If you are going into Spain then it is just a few hundred yards walk to the border, you will have to pass through Spanish customs,and from there you can collect your hire car or get a taxi. Gibraltarian taxis are not allowed to operate in Spain so there is no point asking one of them to take you out.

Gibraltar airport, as opposed to the terminal itself, is actually operated by the Royal Airforce so in the summer the aeroplanes are serviced by men in khaki shorts rather than blue overalls! All vehicle and pedestrian traffic have to cross the runway to get in and out of Gibraltar so it is quite a common occurrance for the barriers to come down and everyone to have to wait for a plane to land or take off.

Boarding of the planes is done, as in the good old days, by walking across the tarmac as there are no telescopic boarding facilities. For passengers arriving at Gibraltar airport you get a wonderful view of the rock from the airplane steps and it gives a rather old fashione feel to travelling.Be warned however the runway is open ended with the Mediterranean one side and Algeciras Bay on the other, so landing and taking off can be a bit nerve racking as you either head for the open sea wondering if you are going to be airborne in time or if the plane is going to come to a halt in time.

The first floor café in the small terminal building has an open air café overlooking the runway from which friends and relatives can wave to their returning or departing loved ones.

Monarch Airways fly to Gibraltar Airport as do British Airways.

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