San Sebastian Airport
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San Sebastian Airport

In recent years San Sebastián Airport has been amongst the Spanish airports that have experienced most growth. Since 1995 traffic has been increasing at a rate well above the average. In utmost growth occurred in 1998 when the volume of traffic grew by 25%, in 1999 when it grew by 11.34% and in 2000 when it grew by 12.39%.

It serves fundamentally domestic scheduled traffic that in 2003 experienced a 4.7% growth in the number of passengers to exceed 283,000.

San Sebastián Airport currently has a single runway, the 04-22 (measuring 1,754 metres by 45 metres), with three perpendicular exit taxiways and, since there is no taxiway, widened runway ends to permit 180º turns. Its hourly capacity is twelve movements. The aircraft apron measures 26,500 square metres and its capacity is six aircraft per hour. The terminal building has a peak-time capacity of 292 passengers in departures and 311 in arrivals.

These capacities are insufficient to meet predicted demand, and measures are therefore required in both the aircraft and passenger movement subsystems. A series of measures, currently at the planning stage, have therefore been scheduled and include increased space and equipment in the functional areas of the terminal building, the extension of the car park and apron, and the construction of an independent aircraft stand.

Other measures to be implemented are the increase of the take-off distance and the construction of runway end safety areas (RESA) and a safety strip. These are also at the planning stage.

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Airport Facts

In 1910, Guipúzcoa province had two airfields - Ondarreta and Lasarte - as well as San Sebastián bay, which was suitable for seaplane use. In 1920, a group of enthusiasts from the town of Irún put a proposition forward to the Ministry of Public Works involving the construction of an airport in this area. The area chosen was Playaundi, at the mouth of the River Bidasoa and measured 800 by 400 metres.

During the twenties, authorisation was obtained from the Ministry of Public Works to establish various air routes: in 1922, San Sebastián-Madrid; in 1924, San Sebastián-Canary Islands and in 1926, San Sebastián-Tenerife.

The National Airport Plan of 1929 mentioned the desirability of creating a border aerodrome near Irún and San Sebastián. Irún Town Council, the Provincial Council and San Sebastián Council offered land at Playaundi as the airport site and provided financial aid to carry out the works. Due to the technical and financial difficulties encountered over construction, the airport lost its qualification as a national airport in December 1931. The project was frozen and in September 1934, the Irún Airport Committee was dissolved.

The need for an airport in Guipúzcoa was reconsidered in the fifties, due to the development of air transport in Spain. In 1952, once all necessary schemes had been carried out, construction work on an airport in the Bidasoa estuary, in the municipality of Fuenterrabía, were declared to be urgent.