Guide To Almeria Airport – LEI
Almeria Airport is a modern airport nine kilometres from the city centre in the South-Western Spanish province of Almeria. It is close to the ‘Motorway of the Mediterranean’, the A7, which links to many coastal Spanish cities. This airport is crucial for the development of the area’s tourist industry, and to manage the steady increase in passengers since the 1990s, a new departures building was opened in 2009. In 2012, almost 750,000 passengers passed through Almeria Airport.
Almeria offers a rich blend of sun, sea and sand, and boasts spectacular views across the Golfo de Almeria. With its medieval town to discover, complete with breathtaking cathedrals and fortifications dating back to the 10th century, it is a centre for culture as well as being the ideal location for a classic beach trip. For traditional Spanish cuisine, tapas and freshly caught seafood from the coast are always on the menu, and there are plenty of bars for a pitstop.
There are 23 check-in desks which can be found on floor 0, along with the security checkpoint. The six boarding gates are located on the basement floor in its single passenger terminal, from which both international and domestic flights depart. There are four baggage reclaim carousels located in the arrivals hall, along with customs, and various tour operators and car hire companies can be found in the general hall.
A regular bus runs to Almeria city centre from just outside the arrivals terminal, taking around 35 minutes, and there are several popular tourist destinations within easy reach by road. It takes just 25 minutes, for example, to drive from the airport to tourist’s favourite Aguadulce, and sunny El Ejido is only 40 minutes away. There is also a taxi service from the airport to the city centre, situated directly outside the passenger terminal.
A large shopping centre resides in the boarding area of departures, where an extensive range of duty-free items can be purchased. There are also two restaurants located in departures either side of the security checkpoint for refreshments and meals, and for early flights, there are seven hotels close to the airport to suit a range of budgets and tastes.
Almeria Airport is controlled by Aena Aeropuertas, which manages many other Spanish airports. The biggest airlines flying to this airport are Easyjet, Ryanair and Almeria, with several other smaller airlines operating more local routes. There are frequent flights from London Gatwick, and popular internal routes to Barcelona, Seville and Madrid.
Bars and restaurants
There is a self-service restaurant in the public zone of departures providing hot and cold meals, snacks and cakes. In the boarding area, travellers can enjoy a meal or drink while waiting for a flight, and the large windows mean passengers can watch the aircraft landing and taking off from the runway in the comfort of a modern eating area.
Shopping
A wide selection of duty-free items such as alcohol, tobacco and cosmetics can be purchased from the large shopping centre located in departures, which frequently offers excellent promotions. There is also a pharmacy for last-minute health and beauty buys for the same prices as in the city, as well as a multishop selling food, newspapers, magazines and souvenirs of Almeria.
Business services
There are two ATMs in the Departures hall, and seven hotels close to the airport for early flights, ranging from two- to four-star. Wi-Fi areas are clearly marked throughout the airport, and are available in public and passenger-only areas.
Travel services
A selection of car rental desks are available in the arrivals hall, along with two tour operators. The tourist information desk is located in arrivals, and airport information can be found in the check-in area. The lost luggage facilities are in the departures hall, and there is also a baggage reclaim room. The airport meeting point is situated in the office of the Airport Services Agent at check-in.
Disabled facilities
Disabled access and facilities are available throughout the airport. Assistance can be requested to make travelling easier for disabled passengers, and there are several meeting points for people with reduced mobility relating to the support services in place in the airport. These can be found in car park P1, the arrivals/ departures forecourt and in the public lobby inside the terminal.
