VistaJet (Austria) (Salzburg) has refuted recent press speculation in Spain, Switzerland and other countries, that founder, Thomas Flohr, is interested in acquiring the abandoned Spanish airport of Ciudad Real. In a statement issued to ch-aviation, the business charter firm said it would not be submitting a bid in the ongoing auction. The international press had speculated over Mr Flohr's possible interest in acquiring the airfield in light of its ideal location in the region of Castilla-La Mancha. Built at a cost of EUR1.1billion (USD1.45billion) during Spain's property bubble era, Ciudad Real was intended as an alternative to Madrid Barajas. However, owing to a lack of commercial traffic, the airport closed in 2012 having been operational for just three years. Its construction was heavily funded by the Caja Castilla La Mancha savings bank - the first of Spain's troubled savings banks to be bailed out in 2010. Spanish news agency Europa Press said the company's receiver put the airport up for sale in early December.