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<p> </p><p>All requests to Spanish authorities by any nation for a military over flight
that has Gibraltar as a departure or arrival airfield, is routinely denied by Spanish
authorities. We make clear to the Spanish government that this is not the sort of
arrangement close allies should have to manage.<br><br>The military aircraft that
routinely fly to Gibraltar are the Hercules C130 and C17 Globemaster. The difference
in cost of a direct flight to Gibraltar from, for example, RAF Brize Norton and a
route not overflying Spain is as follows.<br><br>C130 - £2,600 each way<br>C17 - £4,900
each way<br><br>It should be noted that Spanish authorities are swift and cooperative
in allowing our military aircraft to pass through Spanish airspace to any other destination.
The refusal to use their airspace to access Gibraltar is an irritant that we have
managed since the 1980s, and is set against an otherwise productive defence relationship
between our two countries.</p>
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