Tenerife Weather Disrupts Flights as Lanzarote Connection Is Diverted
Travellers flying between the Canary Islands have been reminded how quickly local weather conditions can affect island-hopping flights, after dense fog around Tenerife North Airport caused several diversions on Thursday, 1 October.The disruption was concentrated around Tenerife North-Ciudad de La Laguna, also known as Los Rodeos, where reduced visibility made normal arrivals difficult. According to information attributed to Aena, four incoming flights were diverted during the morning. A flight from Málaga was sent to Gran Canaria, while services arriving from A Coruña and Lanzarote were diverted to Tenerife South. A Gran Canaria flight returned to its departure airport. The situation also affected La Palma. By later in the day, reports citing Aena said that the combined number of diversions at Tenerife North and La Palma had risen, with cancellations also recorded at La Palma as weather conditions affected operations.
Why can weather cause problems at Tenerife North?
Tenerife North Airport is located at an elevation of around 632 metres in the La Laguna area. Its position means cloud, mist and low visibility can develop around the airport even when conditions elsewhere on Tenerife are quite different. AEMET's observation information identifies the airport as Tenerife Norte Aeropuerto, in the municipality of San Cristóbal de La Laguna. For passengers, the important point is that a flight can be perfectly normal when it leaves Lanzarote but encounter conditions that prevent a safe landing at Tenerife North. Diversion to another airport, returning to the departure airport or waiting for conditions to improve are operational decisions made according to the conditions at the time.What happened to the Lanzarote flight?
One flight arriving from Lanzarote was among the services affected by the poor visibility at Tenerife North. Rather than landing at Los Rodeos, the aircraft was diverted to Tenerife South. This is a different airport on the island, so passengers affected by a diversion should follow instructions from their airline about onward transport and any changes to their journey.Is Lanzarote airport affected?
The disruption described here was centred on Tenerife North and La Palma rather than a general closure of César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport. Live flight information for Lanzarote on 1 October showed flights operating, although some delays were being recorded. Aena advises passengers to use its Infovuelos service for the latest confirmed flight information because schedules and operating information can change at short notice.What should tourists in Lanzarote do?
If you are travelling from Lanzarote to Tenerife, La Palma or another Canary Island during unsettled weather, check your flight directly with the airline before leaving for César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport. Allow extra time if your journey involves a connection, and keep your phone available for airline notifications. It is also worth remembering that weather in the Canary Islands can be very localised. A sunny morning in Puerto del Carmen does not necessarily mean conditions will be the same at an airport on another island. Tenerife North in particular can experience very different conditions from the south of Tenerife. La Palma weather also required attention on Thursday. AEMET had an active yellow warning for rain in parts of the island, with forecasts for locally heavy rainfall, while the wider Canary Islands marine forecast also described showers around La Palma.Will flights return to normal?
Flight operations can change quickly as visibility and weather conditions improve or deteriorate. Passengers should therefore avoid relying on earlier reports or assuming that a flight will operate simply because it was scheduled to do so. Aena's flight information service states that it provides the most up-to-date flight information available to it, based on confirmed operating data and estimates supplied by airlines. For anyone visiting Lanzarote, the main takeaway is simple: a weather disruption at another Canary Island airport does not automatically mean flights from Lanzarote are affected. However, if you are travelling between the islands, conditions at your destination airport can have a direct impact on your journey.An AI Generated Image has been used in this Article.
