Vanesa Martín, spokesperson for Sí se puede Canarias, has shown the party's rejection of the airlines' new proposal to expand the operating hours of Tenerife North Airport. This initiative proposes extending its daily activity from the current 7:00 AM-11:00 PM to 6:00 AM-12:00 AM, a measure that, in the opinion of the eco-socialist organization, responds "exclusively to the interests of air traffic growth and not to the real needs of the Canary Islands' citizens".
The airlines justify this expansion by assuring that it would allow for improved connectivity between islands, reduce congestion during certain time slots, and favor greater flight punctuality. However, Sí se puede considers that this approach once again presents the archipelago as a territory without limits for growth, where any increase in the number of flights and passengers is taken as positive without adequately evaluating its social and environmental consequences.
“A model based on continuously increasing airport capacity is prioritized again without valuing the impact it will have on those who live around these infrastructures," points out Martín. "The increase in noise, air pollution, and road traffic that an expansion of operations would generate precisely in the early morning and at night, when the population's rest is especially sensitive, is not being taken into account.”
The party recalls that the quality of life of the resident population must occupy a central place in any decision regarding airport planning. In its opinion, extending operating hours means transferring new environmental and social costs to the residents of the municipalities near the airport, while the benefits are concentrated in an economic model that continues to bet on increasing the number of visitors.
For Vanesa Martín, this proposal constitutes a new example of how certain business interests continue to pressure for the expansion of airport activity in the Canary Islands, ignoring growing social discontent with touristification and the saturation experienced in numerous territories of the archipelago. In this context, she considers that public administrations must act responsibly and establish limits that prioritize collective well-being over unlimited growth.
Aena explains that any expansion of airport operating hours can only be initiated upon the formal request of one or more airlines, which must justify the need through a firm schedule of additional flights. Likewise, the procedure includes conducting technical and economic feasibility studies, in addition to consulting with the various stakeholders involved in the process.
Currently, Tenerife North is the fourth largest airport in the Canary Islands by passenger volume, with 7.1 million travelers and 6.1% growth during 2025. In recent months, other airports in the archipelago, such as La Palma and Fuerteventura, have also extended their operating hours.
Sí se puede insists that these precedents should not become the norm. The organization considers that the Canary Islands already bear a high territorial and tourist pressure, therefore decisions on airport infrastructure should be aimed at improving the service for the resident population and not at favoring a permanent growth in the number of flights and visitors.
"Airport planning must respond to the general interest and the balance between mobility, quality of life, and territorial protection. The Canary Islands do not need to indefinitely expand their airport capacity; they need policies that place people and the territory at the center of decisions," concludes Vanesa Martín.
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