tenerife norte airport master plan approved

Tenerife Norte airport’s major transformation gets green light

Compiled with the help of artificial intelligence, based on Spanish-language information. Source below the article.

Major step forward for Tenerife Norte

Tenerife Norte-Ciudad de La Laguna airport has taken a decisive step towards its long-awaited transformation. The favourable environmental declaration for the new master plan, published this Thursday, 13 August 2026, in the Official State Gazette (BOE), paves the way for a roadmap that will shape the main renovations at Los Rodeos and set the framework for investment in the coming years. While the development does not mark the start of construction, it clears one of the essential administrative hurdles to make it possible.

The move comes as the infrastructure already operates beyond its theoretical capacity. In 2024, Tenerife Norte handled 6.7 million passengers, against the 6.5 million it was designed for – 262,702 more than its annual maximum. The situation continued in 2025, when 7.1 million travellers passed through Los Rodeos. This upward trend highlights the mounting pressure on facilities that processed just 3.8 million people in 2015.

Growth since the pandemic recovery

Growth has been particularly intense since the post-pandemic recovery. In 2022, the airport recorded 5.5 million passengers; two years later, that figure reached 6.76 million, alongside a record 82,063 aircraft movements. The new master plan estimates that projected growth could push traffic to 7.68 million passengers and 90,970 operations annually. However, it does not propose increasing runway capacity, which remains at between 29 and 33 operations per hour.

The strategy instead focuses on adapting ground facilities to accommodate growth and modernising the airport as a whole. That is where the significance of this administrative milestone lies. The master plan is an airport planning tool that organises space and sets out the necessary actions to address anticipated traffic changes, operational demands and new services.

Terminal expansion at the heart of plans

The principal undertaking will be the expansion of the terminal building. The project will increase floor space and improve key passenger processing areas. The check-in zone and the number of counters will be enlarged, security checks will be reinforced, and boarding areas and gate numbers will grow. Baggage reclaim capacity will also increase with additional carousels. All work must respect the architectural uniqueness of the current building.

The master plan also addresses car parks and access routes to the airport site. This includes the car park opposite the passenger terminal, long-stay areas, spaces for hire vehicles, staff parking and areas reserved for public transport. Reorganisation will need to be coordinated with planned road infrastructure in the surrounding area, particularly the widening of the TF-5 motorway.

Mobility and transport connectivity

The plan introduces a mobility dimension that extends beyond the airport perimeter. It deems the proposed extension of Tram Line 1 to the airport as compatible with the scheme. It also takes into account the Ronda Oeste, the TF-5 bypass and the Western Ring Road – projects that will require coordination between the authorities involved.

There is, however, one significant aspect left out of the plans: extending operating hours. During public and sector consultations, the possibility of advancing the opening time to 06:00 and delaying closure until 00:00 was raised to absorb greater traffic volumes. The final regulatory document does not incorporate this measure, which met with widespread disapproval from residents in communities surrounding the airport.

Investment on an unprecedented scale

The scale of investment planned by Aena, the airport operator, reflects the extent of the transformation being prepared. Tenerife Norte is earmarked for €313.4 million in investment over the 2027–2031 five-year period, compared with €67.8 million allocated for 2022–2026. The difference underscores the magnitude of the programme to be delivered at Los Rodeos.

A fundamental part of this effort will be devoted to adapting facilities to demand. The terminal expansion will target the pressure points that emerge when passenger numbers surge: check-in, security screening, boarding and baggage reclaim. Aena also plans to reorganise car parks and the spaces allocated to different airport users.

Environmental considerations and next steps

Environmental considerations will accompany the future works. The master plan incorporates landscape integration criteria and establishes conditions to be observed during construction. Projects involving earthworks will require archaeological and palaeontological controls, and any findings must be reported to the competent authorities.

Aena’s timeline now shifts focus to drafting the definitive construction project for the terminal expansion, with completion expected this year. The environmental assessment process will follow, along with the incorporation of any requirements imposed. In parallel, access and car park projects will be coordinated with the TF-5 widening. The expectation is that the tender for construction works will begin in 2027.

The new master plan thus envisages an airport quite different from the current one, but with a clear premise: growth without expanding runway capacity or extending operating hours. The strategy is to intervene on ground facilities, improve passenger processes, reorganise parking and access, and prepare the site for demand that has already exceeded the theoretical limit for which it was designed.

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