A popular Spanish airport, which welcomed more than six million visitors last year, has confirmed it will extend its opening hours after the summer period – providing more flexibility for airlines
A popular airport in the Canary Islands will undergo a major shakeup, as it continues to ‘strengthen links’ to the holiday hotspot.
For years, Fuerteventura was dismissed as the ‘boring’ side of the archipelago – constantly overshadowed by neighbouring party resorts in Tenerife and Gran Canaria. However, the destination – which is the second largest Canary Island – has witnessed a huge tourist boom.
Lured in by its unspoilt golden beaches, cobalt waters, rugged volcanos and rich wildlife – Fuerteventura’s mass appeal is finally starting to be appreciated. It’s great for surfers, water sports enthusiasts, hikers, or those that just want to chill by the pool with a good book.
Last year, the island’s airport handled a whopping 6.4 million passengers – marking a 7.1 per cent increase from 2023 and a huge 14.4 per cent spike compared to pre-covid years. Now, it is extending its operating hours – but there is a catch.
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According to Canarian Weekly, Fuerteventura Airport currently closes at 10.30pm, but a new timetable will push this back by 30 minutes, until 11pm. However, the extension won’t come into effect until November 1, meaning passengers flying to the hotspot during the summer won’t be impacted by the change.
The move comes as Spain’s airport operator AENA has also given the green-light for La Palma Airport to open until 11pm. In a statement sent to the Mirror, AENA confirmed the airport will also have the option to extend its operating hours by one hour, until midnight, upon request from an operator.
“The schedule extension can be requested to accommodate previously scheduled commercial flights that have experienced delays and need to operate after the regular closing time due to unforeseen causes, such as operational issues or weather conditions,” a spokesperson said. “All involved groups and organisations, which were previously consulted to conduct the technical feasibility study, have been informed.
“Modifications to an airport’s operating hours begin with a request from at least one airline, which provides a reasoned justification through a firm proposal for scheduling additional flights during that time. The procedure requires a detailed prior study of its feasibility, not only from a financial perspective, but also from the priorities and perspectives of all parties, including inter-island connectivity.”
While a later closing time can provide more flexibility for airlines – it may not go down well with residents who live nearby. Fuerteventura’s skyrocketing popularity has dragged it into Spain’s escalating anti-tourist sentiment, as Brits take the blame for the country’s worsening housing crisis.
Over the last year, several protests have erupted across the island, as banner-waving residents demand tourists ‘go home’. As previously reported, the island’s government has confirmed it will introduce a tourist tax for entering the wild beach of Cofete, the awe-inspiring sand dunes of Correlejo and the vast sea caves of Ajuy.
Jessica de LeoĢn, Minister of Tourism and Employment of the Government of the Canary Islands, has insisted that Fuerteventura ‘must now be incorporated into the regional debate on the ecotax in protected natural spaces’. Fuerteventura’s president, Lola Garcia, also said the collection of a tourist tax was necessary to raise money for the maintenance of the natural spaces visited by hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers each year.
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