Aena is putting two vintage aircraft that have sat idle for years at Bilbao Airport up for public auction. The starting price is zero euros, and bidders do not need to pay a deposit to participate. Announced in the Boletín Oficial del Estado on July 6, 2026, the sale is intended to free up space at the airport. Bids will be opened at Bilbao Airport, with the date to be announced after the submission period closes.
The aircraft are a 1975 Cessna 177RG Cardinal, registration EC-FQL, and a Socata Morane-Saulnier MS893-E Rallye 180 GT, registration EC-DBG. Both have been declared abandoned. Interested buyers can submit offers under the terms in the official documentation available from Aena.
How the Auction Works
Anyone who meets the requirements in the official terms can bid, and no financial guarantee is required. But a zero-euro starting price does not make the aircraft free to acquire: transport and storage, along with repairs and administrative procedures, can add to the cost, particularly for planes that have been inactive for years or dismantled.
Owning an airframe does not, by itself, give the owner permission to fly it. Returning either aircraft to service would depend on its physical condition and the documentation needed to show compliance with registration, maintenance and airworthiness requirements. Large restoration and inspection work may be needed before either can fly.
Decades of History
The Cessna 177RG Cardinal was manufactured in the United States in 1975, while the Socata Rallye 180 GT first took to the skies in December 1977. The Cessna reportedly has not flown for more than a decade, and the Socata is described as almost completely dismantled. Depending on their condition and the buyer’s plans, they could be restored, used for parts or put on display.
The Cessna 177 family is a U.S.-designed light-aircraft line. Morane-Saulnier developed the Rallye, which was later produced under the Socata name. The registrations, EC-FQL and EC-DBG, identify the individual aircraft, but registration alone does not establish that either airframe is currently airworthy.
Unique Stories Behind the Planes
Both aircraft also have local histories. For years, the Socata was used for aerial advertising along the beaches of Galicia and the Cantabrian coast, towing banners and dropping promotional items such as balls, visors and small parachutes. These summer campaigns became a familiar sight in the 1980s. Bilbao Airport’s aviation history records that the aircraft once belonged to pilot Antonio Escondrillas, who worked in aerial advertising in Bizkaia and Galicia. It also operated in La Rioja, where it was authorized to tow banners and drop promotional items.
The Cessna 177 has its own story. It served an aerial photographer who documented infrastructure projects in Bizkaia from above. Drones and satellite imagery have since transformed aerial documentation, reducing the need for some kinds of conventional aircraft-based photography.
Who Might Be Interested?
Neither plane is likely to return to the skies without impressive investment, but their histories could appeal to collectors and aviation enthusiasts, as well as businesses seeking a distinctive display piece. Restaurants, hotels and museums might see value in acquiring an unusual piece of Spanish aviation heritage, while restoration specialists could assess whether either airframe is a viable project.
Once part of Spain’s light-aviation field, the two aircraft could become restoration projects or conversation pieces, or serve as reminders of a bygone era. The zero-euro opening price may be striking, but the aircraft’s condition, documentation and eventual use will shape the real cost of ownership.
