Flights to Tenerife 2025/1Q and the other Canary Islands form an essential link in the tourism ecosystem and the broader economy of the archipelago.
Given the geographic location of the islands, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and at a considerable distance from mainland Spain, air travel is the main and often only realistic means for millions of visitors to reach the region. For Tenerife, which receives more than six million tourists annually, this means a constant inflow of economic activity that is crucial for sectors such as hospitality, retail, transport, culture, and recreation.
Gran Canaria is the busiest
Connections with airports in Europe, particularly Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Belgium, make it possible for tourism to become the backbone of the island’s gross domestic product. Without well-functioning air links, the tourism model of the Canary Islands would be unsustainable, with direct consequences for employment, investment, and the livability of the islands.
All international airports operated by Aena in the Canary Islands recorded over 18.7 million passengers in the first quarter of 2025. This is an increase of 4.9%. In April alone, 4.6 million passengers were counted, an increase of 9%compared to the same month in 2024. Gran Canaria Airport was again the busiest, followed by Tenerife South and Lanzarote.
April, the busiest ever
According to Aena data, the airport network in the Canary Islands ended the first quarter of the year with 164,450 aircraft movements, an increase of 5.6%. A total of 10,560 tons of cargo were transported, representing a decrease of 3.8%compared to 2024.
Of the 18.7 million passengers, 18.6 million were commercial travelers. Of these, 6.7 million traveled on domestic flights (+4.5%) and 11.8 million on international flights (+5.4%).
In the month of April alone, the Canary Islands airport network handled 4.6 million passengers, a 9% increasecompared to April 2024. In addition, there were 40,330 aircraft movements (+5.8%) and 2,654 tons of cargo were transported, 11.4% more than in the same month the previous year.
Passengers in April
Gran Canaria: 1.3 million passengers (+12.3%) – Tenerife South: 1.1 million passengers (+5.4%) – César Manrique-Lanzarote: 745,331 passengers (+5.2%) – Tenerife North–Ciudad de La Laguna: 592,481 passengers (+9.6%) – Fuerteventura: 580,937 passengers (+14.2%) – La Palma: 129,102 passengers (+9.4%) – El Hierro: 24,887 passengers(+4.3%) and La Gomera: 10,752 passengers (+14.1%).
Air travel remains indispensable for the future of tourism in Tenerife and the other Canary Islands. Investments in sustainable air connections, modern airport capacity, and service quality will be crucial to keep the economic engine running and to maintain the islands’ appeal and accessibility for travelers from around the world.
Guy Devos © Photography
Flights to Tenerife 2025/1Q ©
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