The end of the 2000s marked a turning point in the global economy, but especially in the Valencian economy. From a golden age, when the entire Levantine coast proclaimed itself “the California of Europe,” we moved into long years of crisis during which the Valencian Community became home to failed megaprojects in the wake of the real estate boom .
There are plenty of examples to illustrate what the 2008 crisis meant for the Valencian Community: the Valencia Formula 1 Street Circuit, the Ciudad de la Luz in Alicante, the Ágora at the City of Arts and Sciences, the Castellón Airport, and the Nou Mestalla.
But there’s another, lesser-known example that’s right there every time we look out the window at Manises Airport: the abandoned Pronair at the terminal. A huge white and fuchsia airplane with a 2000s-era look that’s been parked in the same spot for 18 years —and which Aena wants to remove from its facilities as soon as possible.
This aircraft is a Boeing 747-245F, a cargo plane with a capacity of over 100 metric tons, which its owner, Isidoro Romero, abandoned at the Valencia airport following the airline’s bankruptcy. The fees for storing the impounded aircraft now exceed 1.5 million euros, and although Aena has attempted to auction it off and, in 2024, declared it “legally abandoned” under the “ ” law, the owner has halted the proceedings on multiple occasions through legal maneuvers.
Aena recentlyannounced its intention to auction it off once again, and if it does not find a buyer willing to pay anywhere near the asking price, it will likely be dismantled and cut up for recycling. This is part of a strategy to increase the airport’s capacity; this year, the airport has once again broken its own passenger record (more than 12 million) and has announced the addition of new flight routes for 2026 and 2027: New York, Brasov, and Chisinau.
The Downfall of Pronair Airlines
You may not recognize the name of this airline. That’s normal—its flight volume was reduced to a few dozen one-off charter flights, some commercial services, and fewer than 20 cargo operations. It was a short-lived, loss-making venture whose greatest legacy was the look of surprise on the faces of passengers at Manises Airport when they saw an aircraft of this type abandoned on the apron.
Isidoro Romero, a businessman from Murcia specializing in the construction industry, founded the airline between 2006 and 2007, backed by a bank loan from that time. The 2008 crisis froze global credit and paralyzed demand for imports and exports, in addition to driving up fuel prices. This combination made a business that was already generating few profits and raising many doubts—due to constant breakdowns of its aircraft—unviable, ultimately leading to the definitive bankruptcy of Pronair Airlines.
