The announcement was made by the Secretary of State for Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, Isabel Pardo de Vera, who transferred the Minister of Transport of the Canary Islands Government, Sebastián Franquis; to the president of Council, Pedro Martín, and the economic and social representatives that “there will be no problem of budget availability, whatever the cost.” Therefore, 3.4 million euros provided for in the Airport Regulation Document (DORA) 2022-2026 will be increased to project the Tenerife South Airport that the Island needs. It will be done through the “unregulated” part of the investment plan, that which is not the responsibility of the airlines.
«Tenerife South Airport is a priority for the Ministry as it is a necessary asset for development, as a pole of attraction for travelers and for the use of wealth, “said Pardo de Vera, who conditioned the date of commencement of work on the new terminal on compliance with the administrative deadlines in the process of drafting the project and the regulated procedures. He did not guarantee that the works begin before the end of 2006, which is the objective of the Cabildo and of Tenerife society. He did promise that the Ministry of Transport will follow up on the drafting of the project to verify that what Tenerife demands for the new terminal is met: functionality, comfort and efficiency.
Loss of confidence
In the meeting held yesterday afternoon with representatives of the economic and social sectors of the Island, the Secretary of State for Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda understood and justified the notable “loss of confidence” towards the central Executive that she perceived. He attributed it to “lack of comunication” that led to successive decision-making “without having a presence on the ground”, as well as to “confusion” with the operation of the DORA program.
The new project must respond to a “long-term” strategic planning (20 or 30 years, say the authorities) and to the intermodal nature, in such a way as to take into account its integration with other modes of transportation on the island.
Isabel Pardo de Vera stressed that “this is not just a declaration of intent”, but a “commitment” that will materialize with the technical work that is being undertaken now. To this will be added the review of the bidding documents so that the Tenerife South Airport is guaranteed «that you need» the Island.
All can be
The new terminal of the Reina Sofía can pivot on the three existing ones (the one that has been in service for 43 years, the one that has never been used since its completion in 2009 and the one that will be completed in March 2022) by means of its “reinterpretation”, some of the current facilities or it can be built completely on top of the existing ones, after demolition. All these scenarios are possible, as stated by the Secretary of State, who leaves such a decision in the hands of “the best professionals,” he clarified.
Pardo de Vera admitted that he does not know Tenerife Sur Airport, although he assured that he knows its conditions and announced that he will visit it. A fact that adds to the absence of AENA representatives at the meeting held yesterday, although it clarified that the Ministry of Transport maintains permanent contact with the public business entity, without interfering in its powers. This guaranteed that the agreement announced yesterday is not born “lame”, since AENA can “support” the investment.
A new stage
The Minister of Public Works, Transport and Housing of the Canary Islands GovernmentSebastián Franquis defined the meeting as “positive” noting that it served to “clarify important issues.” The visit of the Secretary of State for Transport «opens a new stage in the face offront investments in Tenerife“, With the participation of the Canary Islands administrations and” involving all the economic sectors of the Island. ” Transparency, participation and collaboration are terms used by the regional councilor to define the result of Pardo de Vera’s visit, whom he thanked “for his closeness, commitment and loyalty to this Autonomous Community.”
Pedro Martin, President of the Cabildo, expressed his opposition to AENA’s investment plan for the next five-year period: “I am not satisfied with the DORA II proposal” because “it is not what the Tenerife South Airport needs”. He thanked for this the visit of the Secretary of State to “listen” to the Tenerife society. “We have made progress, yes, but there is still a lot to do,” said Martín Domínguez, who praised the attitude of Isabel Pardo in front of “AENA’s lack of activity”. For the umpteenth time, he explained that now it is a question of defining the desired airport project, which is why he made it clear that “today is not a full stop, it is not a place of arrival; It is a point and followed from which the Cabildo de Tenerife, with its technical team, will put the proposals for Tenerife South on the table ». The island president recalled “the importance of investing in a very profitable tourist airport.” Finally, he stressed that “now the economic reactivation begins and the arrival of new companies and routes”, so “it is important to define the Tenerife South Airport that we want for the next 20 or 25 years.”
The Council of Ministers approved the Airport Regulation Document 2022-2026 (DORA II) on September 28. It includes 3.4 million euros to draft the project of the new terminal at Tenerife South Airport. On the 23rd, it will be 43 years since its opening. Until now, the terminal at that time remains in service. The Island claims a modern, operational and in line with the importance of the tourist destination that is both the south and Tenerife.
