There are debates that are resolved with data, others with arguments and some, simply, with experience. The recent statements about those of us who manage the airports of the Canary Islands, where we are branded as "parachutists" and, in a way, as exiles and carefree, belong, in my opinion, to the latter category.
I do not usually participate in public controversies. Those of us who exercise leadership responsibilities know that our decisions are subject to analysis, criticism, and disagreement. It is legitimate and necessary for improvement. However, when the focus shifts from decisions to people, I believe it is worth reflecting.
I do so because I am one of the people affected by these statements and because I have the privilege of knowing well the eight directors who manage our airports.
Throughout my professional life, I have learned that people are truly known when problems arise, decisions are uncomfortable, and responsibility admits no delay. It is there that I have seen those who are currently at the head of the Canarian airports in action.
I have shared incidents, complex operational situations, adverse weather phenomena, and many hours of work with them that will never appear in any headline. I have seen them make difficult decisions, support their teams, and maintain composure in the most demanding moments.
I have also seen them celebrate a new connection, follow the progress of a long-awaited project, or defend necessary projects for the future of the island they served. Because anyone who manages an airport in the Canary Islands soon understands that their work transcends the airport sphere.
We live in a territory deeply linked to connectivity. Airports are part of daily life and condition economic development, territorial cohesion, and future opportunities. Perhaps that is why I find it difficult to accept simplifications.
I have known excellent professionals born in the Canary Islands and excellent professionals born far from them. The difference was never in the place of origin, but in the way of understanding service, responsibility, and the willingness to truly get involved.
The Canary Islands also possess a long tradition of openness and a great capacity to integrate diverse experiences. That is why I find it impoverishing to judge the contribution
of a person solely based on a biographical circumstance over which no one has any choice.
It is natural for differences to exist regarding investments, priorities, or management models. But a mature society knows how to distinguish between questioning a decision and questioning the person who makes it; between critical analysis and labels that end up replacing reality.
As head of the Canarias Group, I feel especially proud of those who manage our airports today. Not for a matter of hierarchy, but because I have observed them for years where character is tested: in difficulty, uncertainty, and the obligation to respond.
Positions come and go, and professional stages conclude. What remains is the mark we leave. When one day I leave this role, I would like to be judged by my decisions, mistakes, and successes, but never by where I was born. I claim the same criterion for those who manage our airports.
My colleagues and I have dedicated many years of our professional lives to Canarias. We have faced complex situations, celebrated advancements, learned from mistakes, and strived to contribute to the future of these islands.
I have never felt the need for anyone to issue certificates of belonging. It is enough for me to have tried to live up to the task entrusted to me. Because roots do not always coincide with the place where the journey began. Sometimes they are born where our concerns, our hopes, our sleepless nights, and a significant part of our own history are concentrated.
That is why I can accept criticism, disagreement, and dissent. What I cannot share is that the dedication of those who have consecrated years of work and responsibility in the service of these islands is called into question.
After so many years walking alongside them, I have no doubt about the professional, human, and ethical quality of the eight directors of the Canary Islands airports. Nor about their connection to this land.
Those of us who have shared a part of our lives with Canarias know that there are loyalties that do not need to be proclaimed because they are demonstrated every day; affections that are born from coexistence and shared work; and bonds deeper than any label.
And it is precisely those that remain when all else has passed.
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