Spain hatches audacious bid to take over Gibraltar airport in post-Brexit row

Britain has refused Spain’s demand to effectively take over Gibraltar airport. The demand, which British diplomats say will threaten Gibraltar’s sovereignty, has derailed post-Brexit talks designed to secure the overseas territory’s long-term future. Spanish officials claim the UK is quibbling over minor details.

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Gibraltar International Airport is owned by the British Ministry of Defence and operated by the RAF.

Since Brexit, Gibraltar has been left in limbo, outside the EU’s customs union and lacking guaranteed free movement of people.

But under a temporary agreement, Spain has allowed free border passage for workers and tourists to avoid disruption.

Hopes had been high earlier this year that a deal could be reached to establish a common travel area between Gibraltar and the EU’s Schengen zone, thereby reducing the need for extensive border controls.

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But now talks have stalled over Spain’s proposal to gain jurisdiction over the airport.

Vice-Admiral Sir David Steel, the governor of Gibraltar, told The Times: “‘The Spanish have asked for a regulatory framework over the management of the airport which implies Spanish jurisdiction, which is not something that Gibraltar can tolerate.”

The role of Spanish police within Gibraltar is another point of contention.

Talking about this issue, Vice-Admiral Steel said: “We have reached a formula which would mean Frontex (the EU border agency) would manage the border on behalf of the EU, overseen by Spanish officials.

“What does ‘overseen’ look like? We must ensure that it doesn’t stretch into sovereignty that it does not exceed what we can accept in terms of jurisdiction and control.”

An upcoming election in Spain has also added to the difficulty of the negotiations with opinion polls showing the new government is hostile about compromising over Gibraltar.

The snap election in Spain is scheduled for July 23 and could complicate negotiations as the conservative Popular Party is leading in the polls. If they were to win, they would likely need to form a coalition with the Vox party, which takes a tough stance on Gibraltar.

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