“There were instances of stress and I noticed ashen faces when the pilot announced we were to divert to another airport. Tenerife-based journalist Alexis Rojas was among the many affected by the rerouting of 22 flights intended for arrival yesterday afternoon at Tenerife South airport, which had to be diverted to different airfields on the Islands after a plane obstructed the runway and required air traffic to be reorganised for over an hour.
Rojas, founder and director of the production firm Tourism Time, was returning from Dublin via a flight operated by the Irish airline Aer Lingus. The departure was at 2:10 p.m. with an expected arrival at Tenerife South at 6:20 p.m. “With just 20 minutes to go before landing, the captain abruptly announced there was an incident on the Reina Sofía runway, without providing specifics, and that we would have to circle above the Island until permission to land was granted,” he recalls.
“At that point, I began to observe ashen faces and growing concern over the uncertainty. We were left in the dark about what was happening or how the issue would be resolved,” he explains. Ultimately, the captain informed them they would be landing at the alternate airport on the Island, Tenerife North, due to delays in clearing the Reina Sofía runway. Alexis Rojas specifies that the Aer Lingus aircraft touched down at the La Laguna facility at approximately 6:50 p.m., 40 minutes after the expected arrival time.
The passengers, taken aback, remained on board. At one stage, as the island journalist noted, the captain mentioned the option of flying from Tenerife North to Tenerife South once the latter’s runway reopened. Alexis Rojas thought to himself that it was a “bizarre” proposal. Indeed, soon after, the crew announced to the passengers they would be exiting the aircraft to be transferred to Tenerife South via two buses, which they proceeded to do.
“We disembarked from the plane, and the staff escorted us to the Los Rodeos terminal, but there we had to endure a wait of about 20 minutes outdoors,” given how cold it had become.” The challenges did not end there. Rojas mentions they had to pass through passport control before finally boarding the buses that were ready outside the terminal for the journey to Reina Sofía. “A few passengers remained in Tenerife North as they were headed for Santa Cruz, not the South, leading to a subsequent trip from Granadilla to La Laguna for those waiting at the Reina Sofía. However, the majority boarded the buses.
Alexis Rojas emphasises that they were at least fortunate in two respects: firstly, that the flight was with a full service airline – “imagine the chaos had it been with a low-cost carrier” – and secondly, that this plane was the first to be diverted due to the incident involving the jet. “Had that not been the case, it is highly probable they would have redirected us to an airport on a different island rather than to Tenerife North. “At least we had that stroke of luck.”
The journalist had to wait an additional 30 minutes for a taxi at the South airport after the approximately one-hour bus journey concluded. He was also fortunate that his home is located quite near the Reina Sofía, in El Médano on the Granadilla de Abona coast. However, the reality is that he eventually arrived home past 10:30 p.m., over four hours later than planned. “There were confused passengers. I remember an elderly gentleman travelling alone who was quite bewildered about what was occurring. “I requested help from the staff at Tenerife North airport for him,” he concludes, adding that “it has been quite an adventure.”
