SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 27 September (EUROPA PRESS) –
United Airlines will run the direct Tenerife-New York service exclusively during the winter season, from 25 October to 30 April, rather than between June and September as was originally agreed with the Tenerife Cabildo.
This announcement was made during a plenary session by Lope Afonso, the Vice President and Minister of Tourism, who has taken charge of the airline’s flight schedule “restructuring” based on commercial considerations. He expressed regret over the “communication” approach used to publicise this change, which has caused “concern and confusion” within the sector.
In this context, he acknowledged in response to a query from the Socialist Group that this flight “diverges” from the Cabildo’s initial expectation of uninterrupted service from June to March, which was supposed to include three weekly flights between Newark (New Jersey) and Tenerife South.
He stated that efforts will be made to maintain the “stability” of the route due to its “positive results” and the need to further “explore” this market, while a “plan B” is also being developed to ensure alternatives should United Airlines reduce its operations.
Pedro Martín, the leader of the Socialist Group, remarked on the significance of the US market for Tenerife, emphasising the importance of welcoming this “flagship airline” which has facilitated agreements with hoteliers aimed at establishing the “foundations” for future growth.
He emphasised the necessity of “perseverance” to see the route “consolidated”, and while he considers the winter season to be “good news”, he believes there is potential for the route to serve other national destinations during the summer. “We could also be competitive in that regard and achieve it here,” he noted.
Should the flight ultimately be scrapped, he suggested that any future airline should ideally “remain North American” as this instils “reliability” among customers, promoting their “confidence.”
“We recognise that this will not be straightforward, but there will be strategies in place to ensure this route’s sustainability, and we trust that ongoing negotiations will ultimately secure year-round service,” he elaborated.
