A Spanish airline boss claims plans to expand Barcelona airport were blocked because ‘planes are not allowed to fly over Lionel Messi’s house’.
Airline executives want to expand the city’s El Prat airport with a new runway near the suburbs of Gava and Castelldefels.
Until now it has been reported the proposals were turned down for ‘environmental and financial reasons’.
But the president of budget Spanish airline Vueling has offered a different perspective, saying ‘you cannot pass over where Messi lives’.
A Spanish airline boss claims plans to expand Barcelona airport were blocked because ‘planes are not allowed to fly over Lionel Messi’s house’, which is six miles from the airport
The Barcelona striker, 30, lives in a multimillion pound mansion in the exclusive Castelldefels suburb of Bellamar, just over six miles from the airport.
Speaking at Barcelona’s ESADE university, Vueling boss Javier Sanchez-Prieto expressed his frustration, saying: ‘This doesn’t happen anywhere else in the world.’
Airport bosses at El Prat are desperate to expand to get more flights in and out of the Catalan city.
The Barcelona striker (right, during a Spanish league football match) 30, lives in a mutltimillion pound mansion in the exclusive Castelldefels suburb of Bellamar, just over six miles from the airport
But the low-cost airline owner appears convinced Messi’s influence means airport bosses are unable to go ahead with their plans.
Messi lives with his pregnant wife Antonella Roccuzzo and their two sons. Their Castelldefels home boasts stunning views of the Mediterranean, a football pitch and swimming pool.
Homes in his neighbourhood usually sell for around £4.5million and the area is also home to Messi’s teammates Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho.
T1 Barcelona New Airport Terminal: Airline executives want to expand the city’s El Prat airport with a new runway near the suburbs of Gava and Castelldefels, where Messi lives
Croatian Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic also lives in the area and revealed last month Messi was so sick of his neighbours making noise – he bought their house.
He said: ‘I did not have any problems with the neighbours.
‘Not like Messi in Castelldefels – he had to buy his house from the neighbours because they were noisy and so he could be alone.’
A Vueling plane at Gatwick Airport, the president of budget Spanish airline said ‘you cannot pass over where Messi lives’