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Benidorm makes history with Europe’s first drone air taxi flight

Benidorm Air Taxi

Twelve drones and an air taxi, an unmanned aerial vehicle that can carry two passengers, flew simultaneously in an urban setting for the first time in Europe in the city of Benidorm. As a component of the European U-ELCOME project, this groundbreaking event was held on Poniente beach.

Several operational scenarios, such as the delivery and transportation of goods, surveillance, and rescue operations, were conducted during the demonstration. The European unmanned airspace management system (U-space) provided digital and automated platforms for flight supervision, ensuring every operation was safe and effective.

Israel Quintanilla, who is the coordinator of the project in the Valencian Community and the director of the Polytechnic University of Valencia’s (UPV) Official Drone Commission said that once the tests required to ensure their safety are finished, the use of these aerial vehicles for passenger and cargo transportation may become a reality within the next four to five years.

“These are validation tests, but the law does not yet authorise it. Quintanilla emphasised that operational safety is the top priority in civil aviation.

Drones are not just used for transportation. They are also essential to surveillance and rescue operations. As an illustration, consider the Benidorm Local Police, who were the first in the nation to use drones for security and rescue missions in 2016.

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“Now this integration of drones in urban environments for emergencies and civil applications is a reality and is carried out naturally,” said the coordinator of the project.


Because of its distinctive skyline and urban design, which includes tall buildings, natural parks, an island, and a variety of urbanised locations, Benidorm was selected as the location for this first aerial demonstration in Europe by the U-ELCOME project, which consists of 51 partners from Spain, France, and Italy. Because of this, the city is a scalable model that may be used to other cities like New York or Dubai.

Quintanilla emphasised Benidorm City Council’s readiness to work with the project, which has enabled the city to establish itself as the standard in Spain for the most drone flights in R&D initiatives.


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Costa Blanca

Next week the Danish store Normal will open in Elche

Elche Normal Shop

On Wednesday, March 5th, the Danish Normal, one of the most well-known retail chains in Europe, will open a new store in the L’Aljub shopping centre in the city of Elche, Alicante.

With a presence in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, France, Finland, Portugal, Spain, and soon Italy, where they will open their first two stores in Rome this March, this will be the thirty-first store in Spain, bringing the total to over 900 locations around Europe.


Three hundred gift bags will be distributed to the first customers to arrive at the new Normal store’s grand opening in Elche. Additionally, there will be an opportunity to play a lucky roulette game with rewards for every player, including a chance to win a 500 euro goods pallet.

Every week, 100 new goods are released.

Almir Terzic, Country Manager for Spain, stated, “We are excited to open our first store in Elche.” He also added, “At Normal, we make sure to provide our customers a great experience and we seek to inspire them with more than 100 new products every week.”

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Retail sales of products at stores that carry a wide variety of products are one of the retail chain’s distinguishing features.

Thus, in addition to more “exotic” products like Pure&Care, Ivy Aïa, or The Hair Project, which are sold only in this chain, they also sell well-known brands like L’Oréal, Gillette, or Kinder.

The entire product line consists of almost 4,000 items in categories like beauty, skin and hair care, stationery, household goods, snacks, drinks and a variety of other everyday necessities used by most people. They clarify that all of this is always offered at “fixed” low pricing without any special discounts.


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Costa Blanca

Three cars burn in busy Torrevieja street

Torrevieja car fire

Three cars were impacted by a fire that broke out on Ulpiano Street in Torrevieja at 5:32 a.m. on Wednesday 26th February.

While firefighters were able to put out the fires in two of the cars, the local police surrounded the scene. By the time the police came, the other car had already caught fire.

Some witnesses speculate that the fire may have begun when a building inhabitant set fire to a van that was purportedly owned by another squatter. Two further cars parked on either side were soon engulfed in flames.


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Costa Blanca

Legal dispute over Torrevieja’s police leadership

Torrevieja Local Police

Alejandro Morer’s appointment as the local police force’s general director has been challenged by Vicente Gutiérrez, the commissioner of the Torrevieja Local Police.

According to Gutiérrez, it is unlawful for Mayor Eduardo Dolón (PP) to have appointed Morer directly without holding a public call or a formal selection procedure.

Morer was Deputy Chief of Police until January 31st. In his current role, he is above the commissioner and serves as a bridge between professional and political leadership.

According to the appeal, Morer’s appointment was made public only after the governing council gave its consent, and it was granted without an open competition, which is against the law’s norms of contracting.

Article 34 of the new municipal organic code, which permits an official from subgroup A2, like Morer, to unusually take on a post often reserved for A1 officials provided they exhibit competence and experience, is expressly challenged by Gutiérrez.

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Since national legislation only permits A1 officials or non-officials to occupy such posts, Gutiérrez contends that this goes against the normative hierarchy concept. Torrevieja’s rules, which include A2 officials, are in conflict with higher-level laws, resulting in what Gutiérrez refers to as a legal fraud.

He asserts that the regulation is an abuse of power and was created expressly to support Morer’s direct appointment.

The appeal also challenges the lack of openness, arguing that by moving forward without adequate public notice, the nomination process infringed upon the fundamental values of equality, merit, and ability. However, the Torrevieja municipal government contends that the direct appointment was justified because the job was freshly formed and unoccupied.

Federico Alarcón, a member of the Security Council, acknowledged the appeal but denied its merit, adding that the case is likely to be rejected by the same legal team that authorised the nomination.

It was disclosed that the job was offered to Gutierrez twice before going to Morer. Additionally, the government contends that when the regulation was initially released in September 2024, Gutierrez did not contest it.

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Priscilla, Queen of the Desert - The Musical in Murcia
January 30, 2025 - February 2, 2025    
All Day
From the silver screen to the stage, via a big silver bus, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert comes to Murcia with the Spanish stage show [...]
Torrevieja Carnival 2025
February 7, 2025 - March 2, 2025    
All Day
Torrevieja's famous carnival takes place from 7 February to 2 March 2025, with all the usual parades and events surrounding this cultural delight.
Torrevieja Jobs Fair
February 13, 2025    
09:30 - 14:00
The "Virgen del Carmen" Cultural Centre in Torrevieja will be the site of the 1st Employment Fair for Inclusion today, Thursday, February 13, from 9:30 [...]
International Open BMX Racing Weekend in Elche
February 15, 2025 - February 16, 2025    
09:00 - 16:00
This weekend, Elche will be the site of the International Open BMX Racing. This is expected to be the best BMX competition ever, with some [...]
Torrevieja National Drag Queen Contest
February 15, 2025    
21:00 - 22:45
An evening of breathtaking entertainment featuring the world's most risk-taking and energetic Drag Queen performances is about to take place at the Torrevieja International Auditorium. [...]
Javea Sunday Market
February 16, 2025    
11:00 - 14:00
Come discover a wide selection of handcrafted goods for sale at the weekly Artisan and Craft Market, which is held every Sunday from 11:00 to [...]
OST: Tchaikovsky and Schubert in Torrevieja
February 22, 2025    
19:00 - 20:30
If you're a fan of classical music, you won't want to miss the third concert of the 2024–25 season by the Torrevieja Symphony Orchestra. The [...]
Artichoke and Broccoli Gastronomic Fair in San Fulgencio
February 23, 2025    
11:00 - 14:00
At this fair, let the different tastes of artichoke and broccoli surprise you. Try some tapas made with these delicious items. You can also join [...]
Il Trovatore in Torrevieja
February 26, 2025    
20:00 - 22:00
The Municipal Theatre in Torrevieja will be the host to the opera Il Trovatore on Wednesday 26 February, 2025.
Orihuela Medieval Market
February 28, 2025 - March 2, 2025    
All Day
Orihuela hosts a medieval festival every year. The market starts at the Cathedral and has many stalls selling food, drink, souvenirs, artefacts, jewellery, and apparel, [...]
Events on January 30, 2025
Events on February 7, 2025
Torrevieja Carnival 2025
7 Feb 25
Torrevieja
Events on February 13, 2025
Events on February 15, 2025
Events on February 16, 2025
Javea Sunday Market
16 Feb 25
Xàbia
Events on February 22, 2025
Events on February 23, 2025
Events on February 26, 2025
Il Trovatore in Torrevieja
26 Feb 25
Torrevieja
Events on February 28, 2025
Orihuela Medieval Market
28 Feb 25
Orihuela

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