Canary Islands airports reopen after sandstorm closures
British holidaymakers will be able to return home after all but one of the Canary Islands’ airports reopened following closures caused by a Saharan sandstorm.
Flights from Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma and North Tenerife Airports will be able to take off, according a statement from airport operator Aena.
Departures from South Tenerife were still grounded on Monday morning, but Spanish authorities now say that all eight airports have reopened and that the worst seems over for the storm.
Earlier, customer service staff at the airports said that the airports had remained open for passengers, despite there being no flights to board.
Passengers posted photographs of people sitting on the floor waiting for more information.
Greg Horsman, 29, was on holiday with his girlfriend and his friends on a Tui cruise and was due to fly home to Manchester on Saturday evening.
However, they were forced to stay in Gran Canaria for another two nights due to the storm.
He said: “It’s frustrating. We’re just ready to be home.”
Jet2 tweeted to advise passengers to check before they travel as no new flights will be heading towards the Canary Islands.
Other passengers should check directly with their airline before setting off.
A spokeswoman for Tui said: “We would like to sincerely apologise to customers for the disruption caused by the adverse and changeable weather conditions in the Canary Islands on Saturday February 22 and Sunday February 23.
“The safety of our customers and crew is always our highest priority and we are working tirelessly to find the best solutions for all our customers.”