Aeropuerto Ciudad Real © JMiguel Rodriguez
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For less than the cost of a luxurious private jet you can own your very own airport in Spain, complete with a runway large enough to accommodate an A380, the world’s largest commercial airliner.
The airport at Ciudad Real was built because it seemed like a good idea, and the local politicians were envious of all the shiny new toys they have in Bilbao. So they decided to fund the construction of a new airport to the tune of billions of dollars. The trouble is, Ciudad Real only has a population of 75,000 and nobody’s using the new airport. It was too much of a hassle to bother with a feasibility study, apparently.
Now it has gone into receivership and the judge presiding over the case has ordered that the airport be auctioned with a reserve bid set at €100M. The proceeds will be used to pay off creditors. The buyer is also obligated to take on several hundred million dollars in outstanding debts, which kind of kills the thrill of finding such a bargain.
Find out more about this in The Guardian