Green light for Tenerife South Airport expansion
A date has finally been set for the start of construction work on the long-awaited new terminal at Tenerife South Airport, Spain’s seventh busiest airport with 14 million passengers in 2025. Work will begin in autumn 2027, according to announcements made this Thursday 30 July by Aena’s Engineering Director, Leticia de Marcos, and the company’s Director for the Canary Islands airports group, Luis López Chapí.
57-phase plan to avoid disruption
The project will be carried out in 57 phases and will begin with the reorganisation of the car park and the construction of new surfaces before any work on the terminal itself, all with the aim of keeping the infrastructure fully operational throughout. Aena, the public-private company that manages Spain’s airports, has released details of the new terminal project, a scheme worth more than €550 million. The tender process was launched this same Thursday, with work scheduled to start in autumn 2027 once the simplified environmental procedure currently underway has been completed.
Part of Aena’s major investment plan
The multi-million-euro project is included in the Airport Regulation Document (DORA), which sets out Aena’s investments for the 2027-2031 period. After the car parks, the next stage will involve reorganising the space reserved for the southern train station, followed by work on the new passenger terminal. These initial phases are expected to last around 70 months.
A much-needed modernisation
The improvement of the airport, also known as Reina Sofía Airport, has long been demanded by Tenerife’s authorities and business community. Its facilities had become outdated and obsolete, damaging the island’s tourist image. Indeed, the current terminal building dates back to 1978. The new one will be built to high standards of sustainability and universal accessibility.
Airport to remain fully operational
Leticia de Marcos and Luis López clarified that the airport will remain fully operational while the work is carried out, as new space is progressively gained – a total of 28% additional surface area – while the old structures are demolished down to their foundations. Aena stressed that the aim is to improve and modernise Tenerife South, rather than simply increasing the number of passengers it currently handles. The airport is the main point of entry for tourists to Tenerife.
Bus access problems addressed
In parallel, the airport operator is seeking solutions to the congestion at the restricted bus access point following the introduction earlier this year of the so-called ‘tasazo’ – a fee now charged to transport operators. Aena has provisionally suspended this fee until the end of this year in an attempt to avoid a repeat of scenes witnessed at the beginning of this month, when problems with the bus access system led to queues and waiting times of more than half an hour for tourists. In addition to the temporary suspension of the fee, Aena has stationed workers at the access barriers to ensure they are working properly.
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