Air Nostrum has put tickets up for sale for the routes connecting Melilla to Granada, Almería and Sevilla.

This low-cost airline, which is an Iberia franchise, operating regional flights within Spain, announced that tickets for flights between May and December are now available.

Its press release pointed out that it was the only air line to come forward for the government-sponsored air routes mentioned above. The Spanish enclave cities of Melilla and Ceuta have a guaranteed, domestic, air and ferry service: Obligación de Servicio Público (OSP).

Although the air line has already been operating flights between Melilla and the mainland since 2001, this government contract means that it has to increase the number of flights available.

This means that they will be running five flights a week between each of three Andalusian cities mentioned and Melilla with an addition one from June to August. These additional flights mean that, for example, there will be 26,320 seats available between Almería and Melilla, which is 52% more than they are obligated to have. It is pretty much the same for Granada where there will be 26,180 (51% more).

As for prices, the contract stipulated 85 euros for both the Granada and Almería flights whilst the Sevilla ones are 105 euros. However, for Melilla residents these prices are subsidised meaning that the Almeria/Granada flights will only cost them 27.33 euros and the Sevilla ones, 32.33 euros.

So, for Granada residents you can go by Ferry or by plane, neither of which will cost you an arm or a leg.

(News: Metropolitan Granada, Andalucía)