The Canary Islands tourism employers' associations have warned this Thursday that the archipelago will have 455,320 fewer airline seats next summer, an annual reduction of 3.4%, and therefore they are asking the Spanish Government to negotiate with the EU measures to protect the islands' connectivity.
The Federation of Employers in Hospitality and Tourism of Las Palmas (FEHT), the Association of Hotels and Non-Hotel Establishments of Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro (Ashotel), the Association of Tourism Employers of Fuerteventura (Asofuer) and the Insular Association of Employers of Hotels and Apartments of Lanzarote (Asolan) have indicated in a statement that this decrease will particularly affect the British and German markets.
According to preliminary data from the public company Turismo de Islas Canarias, air capacity from the United Kingdom will fall by 4%, while that from Germany will decrease by 9.1%.
"The schedule can still vary, but these figures advise action while airlines are deciding where to allocate their planes and what frequencies to maintain for a tourist season marked by the global context," the organizations have indicated.
The employers attribute this situation to the increase in the price of kerosene and the impact of the war in the Persian Gulf on oil transport and aviation fuel supply.
Furthermore, they warn that some of the hedging that has cushioned the rise in kerosene prices will expire in 2027, "which will leave airlines more exposed to market prices."
The sector fears that, if the reduction in seats is consolidated, the Canary Islands will receive fewer European tourists, with effects on business turnover, employment, and tax revenue linked to tourism spending.
In response, the business organizations propose a temporary moratorium on the application of the obligations to use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at European airports of origin for flights to the Canary Islands.
They also request the extension to all flights destined for the archipelago of the exemption from the obligation to surrender CO2 emission allowances, which already covers connections from the Canary Islands to the rest of Spain until 2030.
The employers' associations have also asked the Canary Islands parliamentary groups to take advantage of the processing of the 2027 regional budgets to maintain, at least, the current effort in tourism promotion.
According to them, the budget project reduces Promotur's allocation by 36.3 million euros, after deducting funds for the new commission for professional sports sponsorships, which represents, in comparable terms, a decrease of 24.4% compared to 2026.
"The end of the deadline for the execution of extraordinary European funds forces us to sustain that effort with our own resources," they have stated.
The organizations consider, moreover, that maintaining promotion in markets where air service is decreasing will help sustain demand and guarantee the continuity of routes.
The employers' associations demand "that negotiations with the State and the European Union be opened as soon as possible, while there is still room to influence next summer's programming."
Add La Voz de Lanzarote as a preferred Google source.
Stay informed with the latest current news.