
A pound will buy you one and a half tins of beans, two packets of crisps – or an airport in Spain.

Ciudad Real airport was built in 2009 at a cost of more €1billion – Spain’s economy having taken off – but was closed three years later when its parent company fell into financial difficulties.

The judge in charge of its administration at the time ruled that it should be sold off, with an asking price of €100million (£86million).

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Rubble: The control tower stands proudly above the waste

For sale: The airport will be sold off for just one pound

Haunting: The terminal, where 5 million passengers should be passing through each year, is eerily empty

However, there have been no takers and there is now no minimum asking price, theolivepress.com reported.

The new owners, will need to pay off a few hundred million pounds of debt, though.

The airport was designed to cater for Spain's booming economy to serve both city and coast via a high speed rail link.

It was projected to take the overflow from Madrid's Barajas airport, some 150 miles to the north, Ciudad Real's flagship transport hub was to be a symbol of modern Spain's affluence.

But sadly it has proved to be one of a number of many white elephants for the nation.

For many months the only flights were those of private jets, reportedly including Prince Harry on his way to a boar hunt on land nearby owned by the Duke of Westminster.

The airport was projected to take the overflow from Madrid's Barajas airport, some 150 miles to the north

Contrast: The high speed train, which was supposed to serve the airport, whizzes by as the airport stands redundant

A high speed train accelerates past the airport, which closed in 2012

Derelict: Ciudad Real's Airport was supposed to be a symbol of modern Spain, but is now being left to rack and ruin

Wasteland: The vast stretch of runway and massive area of landing surrounding it remain empty

But the last budget airline to operate from its terminals stopped flying in late 2011 and when the final private flights stopped a few months later, the airport shut up shop.

Since then, the 28,000 sq ft terminal lies empty, where 5million passengers should have been waiting to be whisked away each year.

Built in 2008, it opened fully in 2009 at a total private cost of €1.1billion, and was intended to serve both Madrid and the Andaluscian coast, each accessible by train in 50 minutes.

The Socialist regional government spent millions propping up the venue, promoting the project with advertising campaigns and approving a €140million guarantee to keep it afloat.

The Socialist regional government spent millions propping up the venue

The 4,000 metre runway has to be continually painted with yellow crosses, so pilots flying over the airport will know they cannot land there

The ghost airport is just one of several to be found across the country

In October 2011, it saw its final commercial flight, by Vueling. The airport remained open for another six months, the staff still being paid to deal with a handful of private arrivals.

It finally closed in April 2012, but even though it is now closed to air traffic, maintenance tasks still have to be carried out.

The 4,000 metre runway has to be continually painted with yellow crosses, so pilots flying over the airport will know they cannot land there.

The ghost airport is just one of several to be found across the country. Even worse is Castellon's, where no plane had ever landed or taken off before it was shut down.

In October 2011, it saw its final commercial flight, by Vueling