Canary Islands will receive 15 million euros more from the State to alleviate the effects of the Thomas Cook bankruptcy

The central government will contribute a subsidy of 15 million euros to the Canary Islands Executive through a specific item to promote air connectivity and tourism promotion and thereby help mitigate the effects of the Thomas Cook bankruptcy in the Islands. This amount will be added to the measures already established and that benefit the Canary Islands within the 13 actions of the shock plan defined by the Interministerial Commission last week, which will be approved through a royal decree-law this Friday, October 11, in the Council of Ministers.

This was announced to journalists this Thursday by the President of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, within the framework of the meeting held with the general directors of the Government to analyze the Process of preparing the 2030 agenda for the Canary Islands. Torres pointed out that those 15 million for the Islands will be approved, in the Council of Ministers, together with the rest of the shock plan measures, these valued at around 300 million.

Torres stated that it is "a very important injection" that will be applied "immediately". This state item is added to the reduction of air fees on flights to the Canary Islands by a third, among many others. The reduction of fees is also expected to "improve" in the AENA board of directors.

With that subsidy of 15 million, the Government of the Canary Islands plans to "replace" the air routes operated by Thomas Cook with other airlines and encourage connectivity. Torres indicated that around 60% of the places affected by the bankruptcy of the British tour operator have already been recovered, a "key" aspect for the Archipelago, which has no problem as a destination. "People want to come, but more connectivity is needed and there should be no difficulties," said the President of the Canary Islands.

The head of the regional Executive stressed that there are British companies buying the operating structure of the tour operator to continue operating in the tourism business, while highlighting the "unity of action" with councils, municipalities, unions and tourism business associations, which are also helping. Torres said that "the fundamental thing" is to "preserve" jobs in the island's tourism sector, both current ones and those that were going to be generated in the winter season, which is the most important, the one considered high, in the Canary Islands.

Down payments of 223 million euros for autonomous financing

The President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, was also satisfied this Thursday by the fact that the Council of Ministers is going to approve the unblocking of the down payments of the autonomous financing system, which in the case of the islands means the payment of a total of 223 million euros.

In statements to journalists, he valued the "public commitment" of the Spanish Government, which had already been advanced to the Canary Islands president on August 29 in a meeting with the Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, before the call for general elections on 10N was known. After a new report from the State Attorney General, it is now possible to apply the legal formula devised by the Ministry of Finance and this payment will be made from the State to the Canary Islands shortly.

Ángel Víctor Torres stressed that "I announced it on August 29, and then there were no elections, when we were still in a position to have Pedro Sánchez invested, and I already said then that that money would arrive before the end of the year," he recalled this Thursday. Now, "that statement is becoming a reality," concluded the President of the Canary Islands.