The Region of Murcia has suffered another setback in the long-running legal battle over Corvera Airport after a Madrid court cleared the way for the payment of €143.7 million to its former concessionaire.
The latest ruling lifts the temporary suspension of an earlier judgment ordering the regional government to compensate Sociedad Concesionaria Aeropuerto de Murcia, formerly known as Aeromur, for investments made in developing the airport.
The court rejected the regional administration’s argument that immediate enforcement could place excessive pressure on Murcia’s public finances. It concluded that budgetary concerns were not sufficient grounds to continue delaying payment.
The principal award stands at €143.7 million, but accumulated legal interest—estimated at around €17 million—could increase the total bill to more than €160 million.
The original judgment was issued by Madrid Commercial Court Number 9 in October 2025. It recognised a long-term investment credit owed to the former concessionaire, which is now undergoing liquidation.
The regional government appealed the decision and sought to suspend payment while that appeal was considered. However, the appeal did not automatically halt enforcement of the judgment, leaving the former concessionaire able to demand payment.
Aeromur, led by construction group Sacyr and involving several financial and local business partners, signed a 40-year agreement in 2007 to construct and operate Corvera Airport. The regional government terminated the concession in 2013 following years of delays and disagreement over the opening of the facility.
The airport had been largely completed, but did not begin receiving commercial passengers until January 2019, when it opened under the management of Spanish airport operator Aena.
Murcia’s regional government maintains that Aeromur should be held responsible for contractual breaches that prevented the airport from opening as originally planned in 2012. It argues that a separate contract settlement calculated damages of approximately €204 million, producing a net balance of around €61 million in favour of the regional administration after the acknowledged investments are deducted.
That calculation has also been challenged by the former concessionaire, ensuring that the wider legal dispute remains unresolved.
The regional authorities have additionally pointed out that Murcia is one of the principal creditors in Aeromur’s liquidation proceedings. As a result, they argue that much of any money paid under the ruling could ultimately return to the regional treasury through the insolvency process.
The Corvera project has generated years of litigation over its financing, construction and cancelled concession. During development, the regional government guaranteed loans worth more than €182 million, which it later had to assume when the concessionaire was unable to repay them.
Despite the latest ruling, further legal proceedings and appeals mean the final financial cost of the airport dispute remains uncertain.
