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.
It wasn't 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 hindered (at previous times, flights to and from Gibraltar were not even permitted to fly over Spain) as the Spanish did not acknowledge British sovereignty over the land where the airport is located and demanded a collaborative 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 obstruction.