The vast majority of Spaniards, beyond sharing or criticizing the management carried out by the central government regarding the controllers' pulse, viewed favorably the attitude adopted by the Executive on the bridge ...
The vast majority of Spaniards, beyond sharing or criticizing the management carried out by the central government regarding the controllers' pulse, viewed favorably the attitude adopted by the Executive on the Constitution Day long weekend, to nip in the bud the wild and petty strike that left hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded and trapped throughout Spain.
Now, extending the state of alert, maintaining the militarization of control towers, or even privatizing this service at several airports, including Lanzarote, may involve a more complex debate. But that day, passengers, airlines, the tourism sector, and everyone who was waiting to catch a flight applauded without reservation that checkmate to the controllers, who have managed to earn the rejection and even the contempt of a large part of society.
However, less than a week after that disguised strike was suspended, the same situation was repeated at Guacimeta airport. Delayed flights, canceled takeoffs and landings, and planes diverted to Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria because they could not access the Lanzarote aerodrome. This time it wasn't the controllers. Nor the ashes of a volcano. Not even a weather alert. A south wind a little more intense than usual, and low clouds, left the airport practically closed for hours, when the island had not yet recovered from the debacle of the Constitution Day long weekend.
Here, no states of alert were declared, nor was it chosen to militarize the clouds or the wind. Simply, it was time to endure the downpour and the scarce and deficient information from Aena, which for hours tried to hide the reality that was being experienced at the Lanzarote airport, despite the insistent calls that were made from this media outlet to ask about what was happening. The only press release received from Aena that day was to talk about a children's painting contest.
Finally, they surrendered to the evidence and, at least by telephone, began to give some explanation, although always minimizing it and without giving exact data of what was happening. Not even to keep informed the people who that day were still waiting to go to the airport to catch a flight.
And of course, the blame for what happened was not theirs, nor the airport's. At least, that's what they say from the press office in Las Palmas. In the case of the airport director, Dionisio Canomanuel, he wasn't even able to answer the questions from La Voz. When requesting an interview with his press office, they previously demanded a written questionnaire to know what he was going to be asked about, and after preparing it and sending it, they ended up rejecting the request. Apparently, the head of the Lanzarote airport chooses which questions he answers and which he doesn't, and has no interest in explaining to this island what the technical conditions of Guacimeta are.
Meanwhile, Lanzarote is now raising its voice again. At least, business associations, such as the Chamber of Commerce, Aetur, and Asolan, and also the Popular Party, have done so publicly. The old demand for the expansion of the runway, since the current one prevents the arrival of larger aircraft from distant destinations, is back on the table, and the ILS approach system is also being demanded now. Some voices believe that with that system the problem generated on Thursday of last week would have been solved, and others point out that the orography of the area where the Lanzarote airport is installed does not allow its installation, but the incredible thing is that there are no serious studies on the table about it.
Evidently, many airports endure much worse conditions than those of Lanzarote, and they also become inoperative many more times a year. The difference is that here there is no need for huge snowfalls or hurricane-force winds to be out of service. And although it is not usual, it is unforgivable that it is not avoided if it can be avoided. Especially in an extremely profitable airport for Aena, which is one of the ones that moves the largest volume of passengers in all of Spain, and that should have all possible systems to guarantee operability for all types of aircraft and, above all, in the face of weather circumstances that are anything but extreme.
For years there has been talk of extending the runway and a year ago they sold a supposed agreement between the island's institutions to extend it towards the sea, but the reality is that, to date, everything is pie in the sky. Aena has not even pronounced on whether it is going to do it or not, and certainly does not have it budgeted. In fact, in the midst of contradictory versions from one and the other, the truth is that there are not even impact reports on the table yet.
And the fault, of course, lies with Aena, but above all with those who allow it. And it is that, as in so many other issues, the institutions and politicians that represent this island do not achieve, or are not interested in, defending the true interests of Lanzarote.
The airport is vital for the island, both for the economy based on tourism and for the need for air transport that the people of Lanzarote have, who depend on airplanes for any leisure, work or even health travel. And seeing the ignorance, disinterest and lack of results that our representatives demonstrate in these and other issues, sometimes, as with the controllers, you would feel like throwing them all out on the street and declaring a state of alert.