Costa Blanca
The Valencian Government is talking with Jet2, Vueling, and easyJet to find out about their plans for growth in the Valencian Community in 2025

The Minister of Innovation, Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Marián Cano, has held a series of meetings with the airlines Jet2 Holidays, Vueling and easyJet in the framework of Fitur with the aim of being interested in an increase in the number of routes from the airports Valencians in the next season, in which air connectivity is expected to increase by 8% according to the data collected by the technicians of the Valencian Institute of Tourism Technologies (Invattur).
These companies are committed to keeping a good trend and working to fully develop the region’s airports. This follows a record year when over 28 million passengers flew into the area.
“Connections are essential for tourism, and the Valencian Government keeps in regular contact with airlines to understand their needs,” the minister said. “This includes expanding the Manises and Alicante-Elche airports, which the Council believes cannot be delayed.”
During the talks with the airlines, a key topic was the analysis of the British market and what to expect for summer 2025. Cano highlighted that the British market is very important. Recent data shows that the United Kingdom is the main source of visitors for the Valencian Community, with over 2.8 million British visitors arriving from January to November last year, which is an 11.3% increase compared to 2023.
Jet2 is a budget airline and travel company that provides affordable trips and vacation packages. Jet2.com was started in 2002, with its first flight taking place in 2003 between Leeds and Manchester. In 2007, it introduced its tour operator, Jet2holidays, which has 11,700 workers. It has 120 planes and 12 bases in the UK, plus two in Spain. The Alicante base opened in 2013, and the Tenerife South base opened in 2019.
This airline supports the ‘Jet2 Net Zero’ plan for environmental responsibility that started in 2022. All its land activities do not produce carbon emissions, and its buildings in the UK use renewable energy. This sustainability plan applies to all its providers, including hotels. Their website has a list of 800 sustainable hotels in a part called ‘Certified Sustainable Hotels.’ Customers can choose hotels that follow the official rules of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.
Jet2 airline will open a new base in Luton next April. From there, it will offer trips to Alicante, the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Reus, and Girona.
EasyJet is a British airline that operates from London Luton Airport. It began operating in 1995 and is the second biggest airline in the UK by passenger numbers each year. It is also one of the top airlines in Europe.
This airline offers flights from Valencia and Alicante in the Valencian Community. Last year, this airline started operations at Alicante-Elche airport to mark its 25th anniversary there.
Vueling Airlines started in 2004 in Barcelona. Since then, it has grown quickly, creating many routes to carry millions of people each year and connecting about 30 countries. A team of over 4,600 people works hard to lead the Spanish market and focuses on innovation and close connections in their operations.
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Costa Blanca
Sticky Vicky’s daughter quits mum’s iconic Benidorm show

Adhesive the stage act has been sensationally abandoned by Vicky’s daughter, who has followed in her late mother’s footsteps, thereby leaving behind her family’s Benidorm legacy.
The unexpected decision was made after María Gadea Aragón assumed responsibility for the adult-themed magic performances following the passing of her mother, Victoria María Aragón Gadea, in 2023 at the age of 80.
María, who had been employing her mother’s stage identity in the well-known Spanish resort, has now discontinued her performances after a decade on stage.
María performed frequently at venues including the Palladium, Zodiaco, and Rockerfellers, as well as Benidorm which is a popular destination for British expatriates and vacationers.
Des Bellamy-Wright, an employee at the Benidorm Palladium, verified that María is no longer employed in the lively Spanish city. Des stated, “Sticky Vicky is no longer operational in Benidorm.” The ‘Carmen Snake – Sticky Show’ is a similarly entertaining program that is broadcast every night at 12:45 a.m. “
The official reason for Maria’s retirement was not disclosed, and her final performance was in November 2024.
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Elche’s H&M shop closing

The Swedish retail chain H&M announced in 2024 that it would be reducing the number of stores and employment it has in Spain due to “organisational, productive, and economic” reasons. Around 50 layoffs were the result of the closure of stores in the L’Aljub retail centres in Elche, Ociopía in Orihuela, and Habaneras in Torrevieja, which had consequences for the province of Alicante.
Additionally, these were the sole instances in the Valencian Community that were impacted. The Torrevieja store was the first to shut its doors in May 2024 since that time. The Orihuela store was subsequently closed on September 14th of the same year. Currently, the Elche store has shuttered its doors. The facility was closed to the public on March 14th, following its final day of operation on March 11th. It will be entirely shut down on March 22nd. Approximately 20 employees are being laid off at this Elche store. It is the final establishment in the province of Alicante that will not reopen, and the circumstances of the dismissal were negotiated in October. The employees have departed the company with an agreement as a result of these negotiations, according to Yolanda de la Casa, the general secretary of the CCOO Services Federation in Alicante.
The dismissal terms that were established following the October negotiations were 45 days until 2012 and 33 days until the present. A gratuity of 3,500 euros was granted for the first five years, 4,000 euros for the next ten years, and a maximum of 4,500 euros for the subsequent years.
Furthermore, three relocations have occurred among the 50 individuals who were laid off in the province, spanning Elche, Orihuela, and Torrevieja. Lely Fernández of UGT l’Alacantí-La Marina informed this newspaper that these were part-time employees from the Habaneras shopping centre in Torrevieja who were transferred to the La Zenia shopping centre, which continues to operate and is accessible.
H&M initiated 2024 by announcing the closure of 28 stores and approximately 588 collective redundancies. The figure was reduced to 521 reductions in a subsequent revision.
The Torrevieja store closed its doors to the public on May 17th, 2024, and the lease expired on May 24th, never to be reopened. Nevertheless, numerous employees at this establishment were granted the opportunity to relocate to other nearby stores that were still operational. In September 2024, Ociopía followed suit, and Elche followed suit in March 2025.
The H&M group operates over 100 stores and employs nearly 4,000 individuals in the country. This decision was made by the Scandinavian company in order to “adapt and perfect” its stores in a “changing” shopping environment for its consumers. Additionally, Spain would be responsible for 17% of the brand’s global closures, as indicated by the data that the company disclosed months ago when it presented its 2023 financial year.
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Man stole fire extinguishers to sell as scrap metal

A 20-year-old male is currently under investigation by the Guardia Civil for the purported theft of ten fire extinguishers. The fire extinguishers were discovered by Seprona officers during an inspection of a scrap metal establishment in Torrevieja. The store manager and the criminal are both the subject of an investigation.
The fire extinguishers, which were in near-new condition and completely charged, were discovered by the Servicio de Protección a la Naturaleza (Seprona) officers during the inspection. The investigation was initiated due to the fact that this material is “uncommon” in this form of business, as explained by sources from the Armed Forces.
Upon discovering the fire extinguishers, the officers enquired about the scrapyard manager’s documentation regarding the extinguishers’ arrival. The manager responded that he did not possess any proof of ownership. Additionally, he disclosed that a woman and her son had abandoned them there without his permission.
The company responsible for maintaining the fire extinguishers was identified by Seprona officers after they analysed the evidence and proof acquired. This verified that the extinguishers were located in a building in Torrevieja. The missing equipment was reported by the property manager of this community of proprietors shortly thereafter.
Fire extinguishers were recovered
Officers were permitted to confiscate the fire extinguishers and transport them to the Torrevieja Civil Guard barracks as a result of the formal complaint. Upon verification of their origin, they were returned to their legitimate owners.
The individuals implicated have been identified as a result of the operation. The 20-year-old man who is supposed to have stolen the fire extinguishers is being investigated for theft, while the 23-year-old proprietor of the scrap yard is being investigated for receiving stolen goods.
The Guardia Civil emphasises the necessity of reporting these types of incidents and reminds all individuals of the significance of doing so. In order to prevent the acquisition of stolen material, scrap metal dealers must establish rigorous controls, such as document checks on sellers and items received.
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