Andorra Plans New Airport In Spain

The government of tiny Andorra plans to build a new airport 15 minutes from the border with Spain. Currently, many international guests fly in to Barcelona, over three hours away, with package tours from northern Europe landing in Toulouse on the French side of the Pyrenees, a similar distance to the East. The principality is too small and mountainous to have an airport on its own territory. Andorra has moved rapidly up-market over the past decade and the new airport, which will initially only be able to take smaller jet aircraft up to 80 seaters, is seem as a likely magnet for the international jet set, who would be attracted by Andorra's tax free prices, but to date have been put off by the long transfers from the nearest existing airports. The airport in Seu d'Urgell expects to receive its first passengers by 2010 or 2011.