Spanish 'ghost airport' in Ciudad Real up for sale

A barely used Spanish airport that cost some 1.1 billion euros (£900 million) to build and became a symbol of the country's wasteful spending ahead of an economic downturn has gone on sale for a minimum price of 100 million euros.

Ciudad Real's Central airport, about 150 miles south of Madrid, opened in 2008. The airport's operator went bankrupt last year after it failed to draw enough traffic, becoming known as one of the country's "ghost airports."

Its construction was heavily funded by the Caja Castilla La Mancha savings bank — the first of Spain's troubled savings banks to be bailed out, in 2010.

Spanish news agency Europa Press said the company's receiver put the airport up for sale Monday and is accepting offers until 27 December.

AP