It was not until as recently as December 2006, following the signing of the Cordoba Agreement, that direct flights between Madrid and Gibraltar were re-established, Air traffic had previously been obstructed (at previous times, flights to and from Gibraltar were not even permitted to fly over Spain) as the Spanish did not recognise the British sovereignty over the land where the airport is located and demanded a joint operation of it and the right to treat the airport as a domestic (Spanish) facility, but since the 2006 Agreement between Britain and Spain, air travel to and from Gibraltar has been conducted without hindrance.
This situation was resolved in December 2006, after the signing of the Cordoba Agreement, when direct flights between Madrid and Gibraltar were re-established, Air traffic had previously been restricted (at previous times, flights to and from Gibraltar were not even allowed to fly over Spain) because the Spanish did not recognize British sovereignty over the land where the airport is located and demanded a collaborative management of it and the right to consider the airport as a domestic (Spanish) facility, but since the 2006 Agreement between Britain and Spain, air travel to and from Gibraltar has been carried out without hindrance.