The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that restrictions on British military aircraft entering Spanish airspace continue to apply to flights arriving at or departing from RAF Gibraltar, though officials say the measures have no operational impact.
Responding to questions from Liberal Democrat MP Helen Maguire, Defence Minister Al Carns said UK aircraft are “routed so as to avoid Spanish territorial airspace, in accordance with Spanish restrictions on UK military overflights.”
Carns added that “RAF Gibraltar continues to operate as a sovereign UK military airfield, and the current overflight ban by Spain does not impede our operational freedom with respect to aircraft movements.”
Asked whether the Defence Secretary had discussed the matter with his Spanish counterpart, Carns said that while the two meet regularly to discuss “a range of issues of shared strategic interest,” recent talks have not included overflight arrangements.
No assessment has been made of any financial cost arising from the continued rerouting of flights through other international flight regions, the minister said.
RAF Gibraltar is a key logistical and strategic hub for UK operations in the Mediterranean and North Africa, though tensions over airspace access have persisted between London and Madrid since the 1980s.
Why the hell has the UK awarded a Spanish ship builder any contracts for RFA vessels in that case?
Spain has been exempted from spending increases on defence .
Embarrassing that our Govt allows this
Perhaps because
(a) we’re not as petty as the Spanish government
(b) we weren’t prepared to ‘cut our nose off to spite our face’? Without the Navantia deal the RFA might not have gotten the much needed FSS ships.
I’m sure we can count on you to boycott holidays to Spain and all Spanish produce and goods?
Not a mattere of being petty – more a case of ‘wait a minute, these people are not friendly, do we really want to depend on them for anything if wehave alternatives’?
It’s pettiness on their part, the kind of populist pettiness that politicians know play well to voters of the stupid variety.
It’s good for appearances.
That’s the thing – they are being petty but it has potentially serious consequences and require a serious response. Sadly, voters of the stupid variety often elect governments of the stupid variety…
what Spanish goods?
Well from memory, on the high street you have, Desigual, Zara, H&M, Loewe, Massimo Dutti, Mango, Pull & Bear, Balenciaga, Santander, Seat, etc etc.
Though most items will be manufactured elsewhere, these are Spanish companies and that’s where the profits end up.
Presumably you’d like the RAF to remove the right wing from all its Typhoons and send them back to Spain?
I don’t holiday in Spain. Not since the 90s anyway. I sometimes drink Madri but it’s brewed in the UK. Bae and Babcock placed a proposal with assembly in Rosyth
Petty it may be but Spain is openly hostile to the UK over these flights and Gib in general so no, they should have been discounted.
Yes the Team U.K. bid, which aside from being the most expensive would have caused issues with dry-docking the carriers.
So why weren’t you boycotting Spain in the 90s? This isn’t a recent issue.
Well feel free to be petty back at the Spanish on our behalf.
I can’t imagine it has a massive impact as the RAF barely use it. Nice bit of red meat to get everyone rilled up however it’s incredibly common for countries to ban military overflights and I’m sure the extremist in the Spanish parliament would love nothing better than a major response from us to escalate things.
Spanish air pace is sovereign Spanish territory just like Gibraltar is sovereign British territory and both sides are free to use it.
While Spain is in NATO it’s not exactly an ally and even if it’s was it has almost no military capability to bring to the table.
Perhaps time to ask Spain why they are still in NATO? And why do we award military contracts to companies in a country that is obviously not a friend?
What’s good for the Goose, just mention the 3 Spanish enclaves in north Africa and leave it there!
Borning old Chestnuts.
No impact operationally.
RAF Gibralter is rarely used.
Spain remain a European ally, if it really came down to it.
I still like the people, and the food!
Gibraltar remains a British asset, goid job too given it’s position and what it gives us.
Airspace restrictions or the Spanish Coast Guard sailing in don’t change that, it’s posturing.
Moving on.
Moving on.
I seriously doubt spain is a reliable ally. To the UK or NATO on the whole
Member of my family is Spanish. Agree Daniele, nice food and good people. Lets not forget Spain helped to escort our Carrier this year for example.
No surprise there really, it took us 9 hours to fly the long way round in a C130!
Headline: ‘UK confirms Spain overflight ban impact on Gibraltar ops’
First paragraph: ‘officials say the measures have no operational impact’
What a willfully misleading headline, what are you playing at?
To get the usual and expected reaction in the comment section?