The Guacimeta airport is preparing to receive night flights starting next April, after Aena announced the extension of the aerodrome's hours following a demand from Ryanair. The town councils of San Bartolomé and Tías demanded from Aena and the Ministry of Development a noise map, as well as the soundproofing of the homes that could be affected by this new flight schedule, but, for the moment, they have not obtained any response.
The mayor of San Bartolomé, Marcial Martín, sent a request to both Aena and the Ministry of Development as soon as he learned of this news, asking for a noise map and an action plan to guarantee the rest of the residents, especially in Playa Honda. "For the moment, we have no news," laments the mayor, who assures that he will give Aena a "reasonable" period to develop this project. If it doesn't, the City Council could consider going to court, according to Marcial Martín.
This document was also sent to the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Paulino Rivero, as the mayor of San Bartolomé understands that he "must ensure the important issues of the island of Lanzarote, such as communications." In addition, the request from San Bartolomé, which Tías also joined, was agreed upon with the Princesa Ico Neighborhood Association of Playa Honda.
The mayor of San Bartolomé acknowledges that he did not believe that this noise map would arrive before April 7, when, according to Aena, the Lanzarote airport will begin to receive planes until 2:00 in the morning. "For a report like this, perhaps we have given them very little time," he admits.
The neighbors, calm
In this same sense, the president of the Princesa Ico Association, José María Moro, says that if this noise map does not arrive, "we will have to send the request again" and if not, take legal action, but with the support of the city council. Despite the fact that Aena has not yet responded to either the councils or the residents, José María Moro assures that the residents of Playa Honda are "calm" and are taking "quite well" that the airport is starting to operate at night.
"Among the neighbors, the opinion prevails that if it is going to generate jobs, the sacrifice may be useful," he indicates. "Only one person disagreed with this new airport schedule, but the rest of the neighbors, given the economic situation we have on the island, accept it," says José María Moro.
Soundproofing of windows
Despite the opposition initially shown by both the mayor of Tías, José Juan Cruz Saavedra, and the mayor of San Bartolomé, they have finally accepted that Guacimeta operates at night, but with conditions. And one of these involves the soundproofing of the windows of the homes closest to the airport, something they still don't know if Aena will consider in that action plan that the two institutions have requested.
From both Consistories, they insist that the windows were soundproofed in Tenerife, so Lanzarote "should not be less." "I trust that they will do it, because we have to guarantee the rest of the residents and all this is contemplated in the law," indicates Marcial Martín.
In this sense, he assures that "if the law is not complied with, we will have to go to court." "That is not what we want, and that is why we have given Aena the opportunity to do its homework. We are going to maintain a certain prudence, give it a productive time, but we need to see movements and we need a solution," he insists.
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[Marcial Martín rejects the extension of the airport's hours and asks for respect "for the rest of the neighbors"->48401]