MARBELLA CLUB

The Spanish Air Safety Agency has called on the local authorities in Alhaurín de la Torre, Málaga to control the lights coming from discotheques on the Costa del Sol. The high powered spotlights and laser lights fired up into the sky to draw attention to their venues are bothering pilots trying to land and take off at Málaga airport. The pilots say the problem is worse in the summer and obviously on night time flights. There is a body in Spain, The Department of Operative Coordination of Airspace, which can inform the discos about the conditions which are attached to using such lights, limiting the bother to pilots and allowing the normal development of services at the airport. The Department is requesting that they are allowed to control new opening licences on such establishments to ensure correct use near airports. Alhaurín de la Torre Town Hall commented that they have already sent a local policeman to patrol the airport area, to stop anybody pointing laser lights at the planes.