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The countdown has begun for Teruel to become the first European city with an astronaut port.
Teruel Airport is currently constructing a unique project, the only one of its kind in Europe, that will equip the airport with the capacity for stratospheric flights using HAPS-type airships flying at an altitude of 20,000 meters. This will give it the characteristics of an astronautical port for the launch, landing, control, manufacturing, and maintenance of spacecraft.
On March 11, 2025, the foundation stone was laid for the hangar and production facility for stratospheric airships. The construction contract was awarded to the joint venture formed by Aldesa Construcciones S.A. for €39,774,382.68 (excluding VAT). The project, undertaken by the infrastructure company Ideconsa S.L., has a 20-month execution period and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026.The acting Minister of Public Works and President of the Teruel Airport Consortium today inspected the progress of the works, which are currently the largest project carried out at Teruel Airport to date and are in the phase of lifting the structure. "The works are progressing smoothly and on schedule, as you can see," highlighted Octavio López, who assured that "everything indicates that the tender can be launched in the last quarter of 2026 so that the aerospace complex can be operational and active in the first quarter of 2027."
Accompanied by the Vice President of the Consortium and Mayor of Teruel, Emma Buj, and the Airport's General Manager, Alejandro Ibrahim, López toured part of the 2.66 hectares occupied by the airship hangar and production facility, an area equivalent to four football fields. The hangar and facility have a rectangular shape with approximate dimensions of 376.20 x 70.80 meters and include offices and workshops for assembly and maintenance along the sides. In front of the hangar's eastern facade, a launch platform is being designed with total dimensions of 300 x 220 meters, covering an additional 6.6 hectares.
Emma Buj, for her part, emphasized that "one of Aragon's strategic projects is the Teruel Airport, and this significant investment in this major infrastructure is proof of that. The airport has seen spectacular growth in recent years in terms of both investment and job creation." The mayor of Teruel has pointed out that thanks in large part to the airport, Teruel has gained a thousand industrial jobs in recent years.
This pioneering and unique infrastructure in Europe, classified as an astroport or stratoport, and thanks also to the establishment of PLD Space and its rocket engine testing, positions Teruel as a benchmark in the high-tech aerospace manufacturing sector, since there is currently no other facility in Europe with these technical characteristics for airship production.
The CEO, Alejandro Ibrahim, said, "Today we culminate a year of effort by raising the hangar that will be a home for innovation and a beacon in the European sky, restoring to Teruel the majesty of the giants of the air in a firm commitment to technical progress. May this structure be the symbol of a future where our soaring dreams find no limits but infinity."
Accompanied by the Vice President of the Consortium and Mayor of Teruel, Emma Buj, and the Airport's General Manager, Alejandro Ibrahim, López toured part of the 2.66 hectares occupied by the airship hangar and production facility, an area equivalent to four football fields. The hangar and facility have a rectangular shape with approximate dimensions of 376.20 x 70.80 meters and include offices and workshops for assembly and maintenance along the sides. In front of the hangar's eastern facade, a launch platform is being designed with total dimensions of 300 x 220 meters, covering an additional 6.6 hectares.
Emma Buj, for her part, emphasized that "one of Aragon's strategic projects is the Teruel Airport, and this significant investment in this major infrastructure is proof of that. The airport has seen spectacular growth in recent years in terms of both investment and job creation." The mayor of Teruel has pointed out that thanks in large part to the airport, Teruel has gained a thousand industrial jobs in recent years.
This pioneering and unique infrastructure in Europe, classified as an astroport or stratoport, and thanks also to the establishment of PLD Space and its rocket engine testing, positions Teruel as a benchmark in the high-tech aerospace manufacturing sector, since there is currently no other facility in Europe with these technical characteristics for airship production.
The CEO, Alejandro Ibrahim, said, "Today we culminate a year of effort by raising the hangar that will be a home for innovation and a beacon in the European sky, restoring to Teruel the majesty of the giants of the air in a firm commitment to technical progress. May this structure be the symbol of a future where our soaring dreams find no limits but infinity."
While construction of the stratospheric airship hangar and terminal continues, normal operations at Teruel Airport have increased in recent weeks due to the arrival of aircraft from airports such as Doha, following the outbreak of the war in Iran, which has compromised the security of infrastructure in the Middle East region.
Currently, 23 Qatar Airways aircraft are parked at the airport. Teruel has provided a safe haven for its planes, protecting them from potential bombings, while also offering all the necessary services for their maintenance and upkeep.
"The important thing to realize is that the world's leading airlines and aeronautical companies have chosen Teruel as a benchmark international aircraft parking and maintenance location," concluded Octavio López.
The following video shows the hangar and production facility: https://youtu.be/5AYxR31dw3k?si=hUPslJvRYXNfq0pa
View of the production plant structure
Overview
Side view of the ship
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