The record number of travellers recorded in 2024 at the eight airports across the Canary Islands, which **saw more than 50 million passengers in a single year for the first time** (totaling 52.8 million), has prompted Aena to outline a significant investment for the islands starting in 2027. The semi-public organisation in charge of managing the National Aerodromes Network **intends to allocate over one billion euros for infrastructure in the Autonomous Community** within the next Airport Regulation Document (DORA). This document will set forth the conditions under which services will be provided at the country’s facilities during the five-year period from 2027 to 2031. This announcement was made on Tuesday by the president of the Government of the Canary Islands, **Fernando Clavijo**, following a meeting with Aena’s president, **Maurici Lucena**. It is important to highlight that approval of AENA’s investment proposal ultimately lies with the Ministry of Transportation and Sustainable Mobility. The final endorsement must come from the Council of Ministers, which has the authority to approve the DORA.
Nevertheless, precise and conclusive figures are still pending (we will have to await the release of the new DORA which will follow the previous one from 2017-2021 and the current one for the 2022-2026 period). During the five-year span **from 2017 to 2021, a total of 313.1 million euros was reserved on paper, and the current allocation is merely 171.13 million euros.** This means that AENA plans to budget for the upcoming five years over twice the amount designated for the preceding ten years for enhancements, updates, and renovations at the eight island airports. **More than one billion euros for 2027-2031 (a figure that will be surpassed “substantially,” according to Lucena) in comparison to the 484.23 million euros allocated during the 2017-2026 period.** The average annual investment is projected to be approximately 200 million euros, which will already exceed the total allocated in the current DORA (the aforementioned 171.13 million) in just one year (based on average figures). **Therefore, it is no surprise that the Minister of Public Works, Housing and Mobility for the Autonomous Executive, Pablo Rodríguez, describes this planning as “historic”.** The planning was presented to the regional government on Tuesday by AENA’s President and CEO and the director of the Canary Islands Airports Group, **Luis López Chapí**.
As López Chapí disclosed in an interview with this newspaper, the planned investment of over one billion euros will be allocated across various projects among the eight infrastructures of the archipelago, though the majority will be focused on the enhancement of **the airports of South Tenerife (550 million euros); Tenerife Norte (around 250 million); and Lanzarote (approximately 140 million).** However, these are preliminary projections; it is assured that these three airfields, the two in Tenerife and the one on the island of volcanoes, will receive the bulk of the investment. Unsurprisingly, **they are the three airports with the greatest issues regarding capacity and, particularly, service quality**—to the extent that Los Rodeos Airport has already exceeded its maximum theoretical capacity in 2024 (it recorded 6.7 million travellers against an annual limit of 6.5 million), and **César Manrique** is on the brink of doing the same (having recorded over 8.7 million passengers last year, surpassing its capacity of nine million). In light of these figures, Rodríguez remarked after the meeting with AENA’s semi-public directors (51% of their share capital is held by the state company ENAIRE, while the remaining 49% is privately owned) that **the investments earmarked in the DORA 1 and 2 for the insular airport network have been “absolutely insufficient”.**
Clavijo emphasised that AENA’s ambitious plans, especially when compared to the significantly lower figures from the previous DORA, demonstrate that **the “coordination” between the Canary Islands government and the airport management “has started to yield results.”** “When we convene, when we communicate, when we convey the needs and demands, which are just and lawful, the agreements are reached,” stated the head of the regional administration. On another note, Rodríguez affirmed that it is “clear” that the record number of travellers in the previous year (and also in 2023) has served as a motivation for AENA’s plans, as it is vital to “adapt that growth to the well-being and comfort,” **particularly in terminals such as Tenerife South, which is “completely outdated.”**
In principle, barring unforeseen circumstances, **the three major projects for Tenerife airports and Lanzarote will be drafted before the conclusion of 2025.** Following that, environmental assessments and other necessary procedures will take place; the objective is for construction to commence in 2027. For Tenerife Sur, **the aim is to integrate the entire terminal into one structure** to allow for increased natural light; modernise the facilities; and enhance operations by incorporating new technologies. At Tenerife Norte, **the intention is to improve service quality and increase management efficiency** while respecting the architectural uniqueness of the existing structure. In Lanzarote, the primary project will be **the unification of the two terminals.** Additionally, improvements will be made to the infrastructure currently in use, including enhancements to the air parking area.
