In 1914, the first plane flying between the peninsula and Morocco landed at the improvised aerodrome of Tablada, which had been fitted out the previous year for an air festival. Following this, the municipal government of Seville handed over a plot of land measuring 240,000 square metres to the Military Aeronautical Society for the construction of an aerodrome. Work on the aerodrome began in 1915 and that same year it began to be used for training pilots and observers.
In 1919 the first commercial flights were operated between Seville and Madrid. The following year, an air postal service was established between Seville and Larache and in 1921, the first Spanish commercial service between Seville and Larache was set up. In 1923, various facilities such as hangars, workshops and premises were opened and approval was given for the construction of a municipal airport in Tablada at one end of the military aerodrome airfield, measuring 750 by 500 metres.
In April of 1927, Unión Aérea Española established the air service Madrid-Seville-Lisbon. In February of 1929, the Seville airport project was approved and in March, the Tablada aerodrome was opened to flights and air traffic. It was decided that this service would cease once the planned airport was constructed.
In 1929 the first flight was operated between Madrid and Seville and in 1930, this was extended to the Canary Islands. In February of 1931, the service between Berlin and Barcelona was extended to Seville. In December 1933, the LAPE airline began a service between Seville and the Canary Islands.
During the Spanish civil war, Seville became the arrival point for African troops, whilst Iberia served air transport with flights between Tetuán-Seville-Vitoria, Seville-Salamanca and Seville-Larache-Las Palmas.
In September 1945, works began on the Seville transoceanic airport, with the construction of runways 05-23, 02-20 and 09-27. One year later, it was classified as a customs point and runways 05-23 and 02-20 were asphalted. In 1948, a goniometer was installed, the runway lighting was completed, and the runways became known as 04-22, 18-36 y 09-27. In 1956, runway 09-27 was extended and runway 18-36 became a taxiway.
In 1957, works were carried out on the terminal building and the control tower. Seville Airport was then included in the Hispanic American Agrement for the installation of a supplies base. The facilities were developed near the threshold of 04, rendering the runway out of service.
In 1965 an Instrument Landing System was installed. Between 1971 and 1975, the terminal area was renovated, the apron was extended, a new terminal building was constructed and new access roads were developed.
In 1989, with a focus on the 1992 Universal Exposition, the apron was extended, and a new access from the national motorway N-IV was opened; a new terminal building and a new control tower to the south of the runway were also built. On 31 July 1991, the new installations were inaugurated.
For further information, you can purchase the work of Luis Utrilla, Historia de los aeropuertos de Sevilla.
With the help of