Gran Canaria airport have reported that they are now closed to all flights inbound and outbound this Sunday afternoon due to the intense episode of Calima, bringing thick dust from the Sahara desert and continuing to complicate the work of Canary Islands airports. The extreme weather event is affecting the entire archipelago, along with strong winds, which in some parts of the islands have exceeded 160km/h
According to sources from Spanish Airport Authority AENA, until around 1230 today the airports at Gran Canaria, Tenerife North and Tenerife South were operating with relative normality after yesterday they were left inoperative for several hours again due to poor visibility brought by the Calima.
The long delays look set to continue for many with operators such as Jet2 reminding passengers that the event is still not concluded, and many people still finding it difficult to get any up-to-the-minute information. It is important to remember that the flight companies and tour operators do not have any control over the situation, which is in essence a safety concern due to an Atlantic storm which has drawn fast winds out over the ocean bringing with it desert sands, reducing visibility and affecting efforts to land and take off safely.
The latest announcement from AENA is that the conditions are expected to worsen and that all flights to and from Gran Canaria are being stopped for this afternoon, with other canary islands airports under review.
