Ryanair to become first airline to fly to Spain's 'ghost airport'

Ryanair is set to become the first airline to operate fights to and from the Spanish 'ghost' airport of Castellón.

The airport cost €150 million (£107m) to build but has stood empty for four years, becoming a symbol for the country's excess spending before the recession hit.

The airport is located north of the city of Valencia on Spain's Mediterranean coast, and has yet to see a single aircraft land on its 3,000 metres of runway.

According to the Guardian, the airport was declared open in March 2011, and was commissioned by the leader of the Castellón province, Carlos Fabra, who is now in jail serving time for tax fraud.

Fabra also commissioned a 24-metre high copper sculpture, widely thought to be of himself, to stand outside the airport at a cost of €300,000.

Ryanair has now come to the rescue and will launch flights between Castellón and destinations in Britain, Germany and Sweden, possibly as early as the Easter holidays.

According to thelocal.es, operators are aiming for 250 flights and 35,000 passengers through the airport in its first year.

It is thought the new flight service will open up a relatively undiscovered part of Spain to tourism, adds The Local.