Tenerife received the first direct flight from the United Airlines company from New York. The connection, a pioneer in history, takes over from the one that linked the Island with Miami twelve years ago. It is the reflection of many months of hard work with one goal: to reach the North American market. The route connects Newark Liberty Airport, in New Jersey, with the Tenerife South Reina Sofia. The frequency is three weekly flights in each direction until September 30, which shows a clear vocation for continuity.
Everything was staged in the purest Yankee style in the welcoming act of the imposing Boeing 757-200, which left at 2:40 local time and six hours and 27 minutes later, at 09:48, landed on the Island.
The plane’s fuselage, the so-called livery, stands out in the distance, decorated with the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty. The design is by the artist Corinne Antonelli, winner of a contest for women only, Her at here, to decorate such a particular canvas. The plane lands in Tenerife ahead of schedule. The average is set at eight hours there and seven hours back.
The great tourist destination for Americans is the Hawaiian archipelago, 16 hours away by plane. Tenerife, however, is only seven. Advantage number one.
A strict security protocol receives the arrival of the flight, always with the exquisite treatment by the professionals of AENA, the Cabildo and the airline itself, with that magician of protocol that is Kevin Johnston. The traditional welcoming ceremony when a plane lands at an airport for the first time was not applied. For reasons of sustainability and austerity in the cost of the liquid element, the firefighters’ water arches were eliminated. The company even rejected that the aerodrome’s firefighting professionals announced the welcome with sirens. It was also not possible to access beyond the glass, and the historical moment was immortalized in an opaque way.
The plane will take off from Newark on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, while on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays it will take off from Tenerife South, with the exception of this inaugural flight. The forecast is for 507 travelers in each direction per week, with a global offer of 16,000 seats in these four months.
The President of the Council, Peter Martin; United’s General Director of International Planning, Matt Stevens, and the General Director of Tenerife Sur Airport, Luis López Chapí, received the crew of this inaugural flight, which spent the night on the Island and will make the return trip today with island passengers .
Martín values ”an attempt to prioritize our market opportunities in the United States.” It focuses on the idea of ”bringing North American customers closer to the Island’s gastronomy, climate, nature, culture and tourist offer”. In addition to excellence and versatility, there is another key factor: safety, both health and personal. There, Tenerife “has a lot to offer,” says Martín.
Matt Stevens states that “we are the only airline that connects the Canary Islands with the United States and we are very happy with this new service.” He elaborates on the idea: «This route is a direct link from New York to Tenerife, a comfortable route that will allow American travelers to enjoy the spectacular black and white sand beaches of the Canary Islands. Plus, with connections from nearly 90 destinations across the Americas.”
Luis López Chapí points out that “we are delighted to inaugurate this historic route. We want to grow with society. Thanks to this effort, the determination and the work of all the agents involved, our islands will be more connected, if possible.”
Laura Castro, insular director of the area, and David Pérez, CEO of Tenerife Tourism, are confident that there will be continuity in the face of the occupancy data and the interest shown “here and there”. Destination and offer receive a great reception.
Attracting the North American market was a bet of the Island that seems to be coming true. Even as an alternative to nearby destinations, in the case of Mexico, or to the paradise of its tourism, the Hawaiian Islands. There was a moment of Berlanguian surrealism in the reception because of the protocol, but everything is to open the way for Americans to come and see their new Hawaii.
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