Dozens of aircraft, including planes operated by Qatar Airways, are now parked at Teruel Airport in eastern Spain, as airlines grapple with disruptions caused by escalating conflict in the Middle East. By Saturday, the airport was expected to receive approximately 20 aircraft, with 17 belonging to Qatar Airways, according to a schedule reported by Reuters.
The influx mirrors a similar situation during the Covid-19 pandemic, when Teruel Airport served as a storage facility for around 140 grounded planes over a two-year period. The airport’s location and climate make it particularly well-suited for aircraft storage. Situated more than 1,000 meters above sea level, Teruel experiences over 250 days of sunshine annually, and its dry, salt-free conditions minimize corrosion.
Alejandro Ibrahim, general manager of the terminal, acknowledged the unusual activity. “It’s not normal,” he said. “Companies are revising their fleets and routes and looking for safer places to park their planes, and Europe fits the bill.”
Teruel Airport, a state-owned facility, is not a commercial passenger hub, allowing aircraft to remain parked without operational constraints. It has the capacity to accommodate up to 250 wide-body and 400 narrow-body aircraft. On Friday alone, around 10 wide-body jets were scheduled to arrive, many operated by Qatar Airways. A Qatar Airways A380 landed mid-morning after departing from London, followed by two A350s and a Boeing 787 later in the afternoon.
The current situation is driven by airspace closures and rerouted flights resulting from the conflict in West Asia, forcing airlines to reassess fleet deployment and temporarily ground aircraft. While Teruel’s operators are equipped to handle the increased demand, they are unable to predict how long the trend will continue. “We’re working week to week as there’s no clear horizon and it really depends on the companies… how this could all develop in the coming months,” Ibrahim stated.
Despite the increased business from aircraft storage, the airport’s primary focus remains on maintenance contracts. “What we would like is for [the conflict] to end, because our crucial business is aircraft maintenance. The more planes fly, the greater activity our airport has,” Ibrahim said. The airport typically receives two aircraft daily, and the recent surge represents a significant deviation from its usual operations.
The airport, located in Aragon province, is also emblematic of “Empty Spain,” a term used to describe the rural depopulation affecting many areas of inland Spain. While serving as a refuge for grounded aircraft, Teruel Airport continues to operate as a key component of Europe’s aircraft maintenance and storage infrastructure.
