The Diplomat
The Spanish Government is agreeing to allow passengers due to fly from Gibraltar to London to catch their flights from Malaga airport, because planes are unable to land at the Rock’s aerodrome due to bad weather.
The decision has been taken by the Ministry of the Interior, after an Easyjet plane from London to Gibraltar requested, when it was already in the air, to land in Malaga, due to bad weather. As it was an emergency, Spain accepted the request, but raised reservations when the company requested that passengers who were due to take the flight back to London and who were in Gibraltar, be allowed to go to Malaga to catch the plane there.
The Spanish authorities initially objected to the request in respect of non-Schengen nationals, including British passport holders, on the grounds that they had ‘no evidence or guarantee that they intended to board a departing flight from Malaga Airport’. Spain accepted EU citizen passengers, Schengen visa holders and Gibraltar Red ID card holders.
The Gibraltar Government then issued 90 passengers affected by the problem with replacement boarding passes, as proof that they had a reservation to board their diverted flight to Malaga Airport.
Finally, after negotiation with the Spanish authorities at the Ministry of the Interior, the Spanish authorities extraordinarily accepted these cards as sufficient proof and all were allowed entry into Spain for the flight from Malaga to London.
However, the same problem arose again yesterday with other flights leaving London for Gibraltar, despite the knowledge that weather conditions would not allow them to land at the Rock’s air base.
In the end, the Ministry of the Interior again accepted Gibraltar’s demands, something which, in some police circles, has caused some surprise, given the problems that can arise with people who cross Spanish territory without being Schengen citizens or having the corresponding visa.
