In March 2013, the president of the Autonomous Region announced a Flight Development Fund would be created to boost Canary Islands new routes. EuropaPress published the information when this blog did not exist yet.
This morning, Preferente.com informs that the first six Canary Islands new routes have been put out for tender. Therefore, airlines can place bids to cover these destinations:
- Tenerife – New York.
- Gran Canaria – Rome.
- La Gomera – London.
- La Palma – Leipzig.
- Lanzarote – Lyon.
- Fuerteventura – Paris.
In the forthcoming months the government of the Region is expected to put out for tender other Canary Islands new routes.
Ricardo Fernández de la Puente – Deputy Minister for Tourism in the Canary Islands – said Promotur Turismo de Canarias – entity responsible for the Canary Islands promotion as destination – agreed these six Canary Islands new routes with the different councils. This agreement considered “the lacks of connectivity which had been detected in each island with the target markets”.
For the end of the forthcoming October, when the airline’s winter season starts, all these new routes should be opened but Tenerife – New York, which is expected for Summer 2015 and La Gomera – London, which will not start until the next Winter season.
Details for the tender should be available at their web site, here.
The Flight Development Fund was approved in April 2014 after negotiations between the Canary Islands Government and the European Commission. Those negotiations concluded with changes in the European Aviation Guidelines to allow the Canaries give subventions to airlines to boost and promote Canary Islands new routes.
For further information, check out our post about the European regulatory framework on airport subventions.
Photo: Tenerife North airport terminal / rromer
