Chamber President Condemns “New Robbery” of the Islands
The president of the Official Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Services and Navigation of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Santiago Sesé, demanded on Tuesday that Aena “stop punishing Canary Islanders by imposing a new fee for discretionary passenger transport at the islands’ airports for the time buses spend on their premises.” He described the situation as “a new robbery of the Canaries,” arguing it will mean a considerable monthly increase in costs for these companies.
Substantial New Cost for Transport Firms
This fee, announced for implementation in January next year, will be applied progressively. It will first be introduced at Tenerife South and Lanzarote airports, followed by Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. According to Sesé, it could mean an additional monthly cost of thousands of euros for transport companies, representing a “new blow” to the tourism sector’s value chain.
Logistical and Environmental Setback Warned
In a statement, Sesé pointed out that it “will not only mean an economic loss but also a logistical and environmental one, as it would add a new obstacle to collective transport. What should be promoted and favoured is the use of collective transport as a priority and more sustainable alternative to the use of private vehicles.”
Criticism of Airport Infrastructure Deficiencies
The president considered it “especially serious” that these decisions are being made in a context where Canary Islands airports have “evident shortcomings” in infrastructure, services, and maintenance. “Despite the high volume of passengers and the significant profitability they contribute to the Spanish airport system, investments are not arriving with the intensity or speed required by a top-tier tourist destination,” he noted.
He insisted that the Canary Islands airports cannot continue to be used as a constant source of income without a “fair return” in the form of modernisation, expansion, and improvement of facilities. In this vein, he added that “the islands cannot bear more economic burdens that hinder the competitiveness of the tourism sector, as the main economic engine of the Canaries. Therefore, operational solutions must be sought that do not mean an increase in economic cost for businesses.”
Proposed Solution: Free Waiting Areas
Sesé argued that the fee should not harm tourists either, proposing solutions that already exist in other national airports. These involve adjacent open areas known as ‘regulatory holding areas’ where passenger transport vehicles can wait free of charge before picking up passengers at the terminal, where they then have one hour at zero cost to collect passengers.
This solution has been suggested by the Federation of Transport Companies of the Canary Islands and is supported by the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Chamber of Commerce. They argue that any measure of this magnitude must be agreed upon with the affected sectors, taking into account the impact it could have on the entire value chain of the sector and on the destination’s sustainability, not only economically but also environmentally.
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