A shift in Tenerife’s travel landscape
For years, we’ve been conditioned to check flight prices on our phones, compare options with a few taps, and often choose an airport almost instinctively: if it was cheap, we’d book it. For Tenerife travelers, this ritual had an extra layer: choosing between the North (TFN) or South (TFS) airport based on schedule, connections to mainland Spain, or simply the time saved when departing from the metropolitan area around Santa Cruz and La Laguna. Many families even mixed and matched airports—flying into the north and out from the south—to align with the best flight deals and their budgets. In this complex game, Ryanair has long been the key to affordable getaways, family visits, and connections to smaller cities. Now, the game has changed following the Irish airline’s announcement to cease winter operations from Tenerife North and reorganize its capacity across Spain. Here’s a clear, direct summary of what’s changed, what hasn’t, and how to organize your travel to keep flying without any nasty surprises.
What exactly happened?
Ryanair has announced a cut of approximately one million seats in Spain for the upcoming winter season and is closing its base at Tenerife North Airport (TFN) during this period. The airline cites Aena’s airport fees as the reason for this decision.
What this means for your Tenerife travel plans
The most immediate impact is clear: if you want to fly with Ryanair this winter, you will have to do so from Tenerife South Airport (TFS). If you prefer the convenience of flying from the northern metropolitan area, you’ll need to look at other airlines that continue to operate from TFN to mainland Spain, such as Vueling or Iberia Express.
What remains unchanged
It’s important to note that inter-island flights are completely unaffected by this change, as Ryanair does not operate routes between the Canary Islands. Your options for hopping between islands remain exclusively with Binter and Canaryfly, both of which continue their services from Tenerife North.
The new logistics: cost and convenience
Choosing the now-necessary Ryanair flight from TFS comes with new logistical considerations. Primarily, this means a longer transfer from the La Laguna/Santa Cruz area, typically taking 45 to 60 minutes by car or bus, heavily dependent on traffic. You must now factor in indirect costs that previously didn’t exist, such as fuel, airport parking, or a more expensive taxi ride to the southern airport.
It’s worth recalculating your schedules and total costs. A slightly more expensive flight from TFN with another airline might actually work out better financially and logistically once you factor in the time and money saved by avoiding the trip to the south. Furthermore, with Ryanair’s price pressure removed from certain routes and time slots at TFN, the frequency of deeply discounted fares on those routes may decrease. The key to navigating this will be to look further in advance and be flexible with less popular travel times.
Smart strategies for your next trip
The clever trick of flying into one airport and out of another still exists, but it now requires more meticulous planning. You’ll need to coordinate things like picking up a rental car at one airport and dropping it off at the other, or arranging transfers to avoid adding stress and extra costs to your return journey. To ensure you get the best deal, always compare prices by airport: check options from TFN (with other airlines) against TFS (with Ryanair and others). Often, what you save on the airfare you might end up spending on transfers.
Other savvy tips include booking well in advance, as prices on certain days and times may rise sooner without Ryanair’s presence in the north. Being flexible with your departure time by just an hour or two can lead to significant savings. Most importantly, value the total cost of your journey—factor in parking, bus, or taxi fares, not just the flight ticket itself. If your travel plans are inflexible due to connecting flights or important events, considering travel insurance with change and cancellation coverage is a wise move.
Your rights if your flight is affected
If your existing flight is canceled due to these winter schedule changes, Ryanair is obligated to offer you a full refund or an alternative flight. If they notify you more than 14 days before departure, they typically do not have to pay monetary compensation (though you are still entitled to a refund if you do not accept their alternative offer). However, if notification comes 14 days or less before your flight, you may be entitled to compensation under EU261 regulations if the alternative flight offered does not meet certain criteria regarding schedule or total travel time.
A practical piece of advice: before automatically accepting a rebooking from TFS, do the math. Calculate the total cost: the price of the new ticket plus the cost and time of the transfer to the south, and then compare that to getting a refund and booking a new ticket with another airline directly from TFN.
The bigger picture for Tenerife travel
This is not the end of Tenerife’s connectivity. Other airlines are maintaining and even expanding their schedules. Tenerife South will continue to absorb the bulk of the low-cost demand. However, for the traveler based in the northern metropolitan area, the change is significant. You will now more frequently face a choice between price and convenience, a new calculation in the ever-evolving strategy of traveling to and from this beloved Atlantic island.
