The Circle of Entrepreneurs and Professionals of the South of Tenerife (CEST) has issued a warning regarding the disruptions encountered around Tenerife South Airport during this Christmas period.
This was communicated on Thursday in a statement where they demanded that AENA take “responsibility” for providing prompt solutions to ensure adequate services for the significant passenger traffic.
In this context, the association described the management of passenger mobility as “questionable” at this inadequate airport. They highlighted that it “not only causes issues in the vicinity itself, tarnishing the destination’s image, but also impairs mobility across the entire region, particularly along its primary route, the TF-1.”
The president of CEST, Javier Cabrera, elaborated that “there have been instances with over 100 flight arrivals, averaging 220 passengers per aircraft, translating to more than 22,000 travellers needing to exit the airport.” He noted that “those who require access to leave the island contribute to that volume of individuals, necessitating efficient and capable assistance.”
In this regard, he asserted that AENA is not advocating for the people of Tenerife or the tourism sector. “We encounter very stressful situations,” he remarked, “due to the urgency of visitors wanting to exit the premises, since private transport services ultimately depart two and a half hours late, leading to queues exceeding an hour and a half for various transportation options.”
Tenerife South Airport. / ED
Consequently, he emphasised the necessity for “airport services that do not meet the standards of our destination or reflect the influx of international passengers, diminishing the tourist experience from the outset of their time on the island.”
Additionally, CEST is calling for a reassessment of the fees for certain services at the airport, such as parking, to make them more accessible.
He also urged AENA to implement some form of oversight concerning the catering options, ensuring that prices align with the quality of the offerings provided. “The charges for products, whose quality falls significantly short of expectations, are genuinely excessive,” he remarked.
Cabrera expressed gratitude to the Government of the Canary Islands for their involvement, particularly through the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, Francisco González, “who not only advocates for the island’s requirements regarding the airport and roadways, but has also communicated many of CEST’s principal concerns to AENA.”
“Nonetheless, we observe with considerable unease how those in charge of the company virtually dismiss all of the issues identified by local stakeholders concerning the airport complex,” he concluded.
