Binter Canarias<\/strong> airline.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nNow, why does this matter?<\/p>\n
Because having two airports<\/strong> in Tenerife isn\u2019t just about logistics. It\u2019s about how<\/strong> and where<\/strong> you land shaping your entire trip.<\/p>\nLet\u2019s break it down.<\/p>\n
Why Two Airports Benefit Travellers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n- More Flight Options<\/strong> \u2013 Whether you’re flying in from Madrid or Manchester, you’ve got choices.<\/li>\n
- Better Regional Connectivity<\/strong> \u2013 TFN makes island-hopping a breeze.<\/li>\n
- Strategic Locations<\/strong> \u2013 One near Santa Cruz<\/strong>, one near the southern resorts. Choose wisely.<\/li>\n
- Faster Transfers<\/strong> \u2013 Land at the right airport, and you could be sipping a mojito on the beach in record time.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
And now that you know why this matters, let\u2019s talk about the main player<\/strong>.<\/p>\nThe big guy.<\/p>\n
The airport that greets millions of sunburnt tourists every year.<\/p>\n
Tenerife South Airport (Reina Sofia)<\/strong><\/h2>\nHistory of Tenerife South Airport<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe year was 1978<\/strong>.<\/p>\nTourism was exploding. Flights were increasing. But there was a big problem<\/strong>\u2014Tenerife North Airport just wasn\u2019t cutting it.<\/strong><\/p>\nBad weather. Frequent fog. A tragic accident in 1977 (yes, that<\/em> one\u2014the deadliest plane crash in history).<\/p>\nThe solution? Build a new airport where the sun always shines.<\/strong><\/p>\nAnd so, Tenerife South Airport<\/strong> was born.<\/p>\nWith a long runway<\/strong>, built to handle big international aircraft<\/strong>, and a terminal ready for thousands of tourists per day<\/strong>, Reina Sofia Airport became the<\/strong> entry point for mass tourism in Tenerife.<\/p>\nToday, it\u2019s the island\u2019s busiest airport<\/strong>, serving over 11 million passengers annually<\/strong> and connecting Tenerife to destinations all across Europe.<\/p>\nSo if you\u2019re flying in from London, Berlin, or Paris? This is where you\u2019ll land.<\/strong><\/p>\nAnd here\u2019s why it matters.<\/p>\n
Key Features of Tenerife South Airport<\/strong><\/h3>\nLocation & Accessibility<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n- Where?<\/strong> Southern Tenerife, near Costa Adeje<\/strong>, Los Cristianos<\/strong>, and Playa de las Am\u00e9ricas<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
- Distance from Santa Cruz?<\/strong> 60 km<\/strong> (about 45 minutes by car).<\/li>\n
- Who uses it?<\/strong> Mostly international tourists<\/strong> heading straight to their holiday resorts<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Runway & Air Traffic Control<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n- One of the longest runways in the Canary Islands<\/strong>\u2014built to handle big planes<\/strong> from all over Europe.<\/li>\n
- Unlike Tenerife North, it rarely has weather issues<\/strong>, meaning fewer delays<\/strong> and faster take-offs.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Flight Schedules & Airline Connections<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n- Served by low-cost airlines<\/strong> like Ryanair, easyJet, and Wizz Air<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
- Also hosts major international carriers<\/strong> like British Airways, TUI, and Lufthansa<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
- The busiest months? December to March<\/strong>\u2014prime winter escape season.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Transportation Options<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n- Taxis & Private Transfers<\/strong> \u2013 Available 24\/7, but expect to pay around \u20ac100 to Santa Cruz<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
- Bus Connections<\/strong> \u2013 Lines 343, 111, and 450<\/strong> take you to key locations across the island.<\/li>\n
- Car Rentals<\/strong> \u2013 Ideal if you’re exploring Tenerife in a campervan<\/strong> (hello, AJJ Vans!<\/em>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Tenerife North Airport (Los Rodeos)<\/strong><\/h2>\nNow, let\u2019s talk about the other<\/em> airport. The one that doesn\u2019t get as much attention but plays a crucial<\/strong> role in keeping Tenerife connected.<\/p>\nTenerife North Airport, known as Los Rodeos<\/strong>, is the island\u2019s original airport<\/strong>\u2014the one that started it all.<\/p>\nIt\u2019s smaller<\/strong>, quieter<\/strong>, and less touristy<\/strong>. But don\u2019t let that fool you.<\/p>\nBecause for locals, business travellers, and anyone hopping between islands<\/strong>, TFN is an absolute game-changer<\/strong>.<\/p>\nLet\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n
History of Tenerife North Airport<\/strong><\/h3>\n1941.<\/strong> Tenerife needed an airport.<\/p>\nAnd so, they built one. Right near San Crist\u00f3bal de La Laguna<\/strong>, just 10 km from Santa Cruz<\/strong>. Back then, it was the only<\/strong> airport on the island. The main hub for flights to mainland Spain and beyond.<\/p>\nAnd it worked. For a while.<\/p>\n
But there was a problem<\/strong>.<\/p>\nFog.<\/strong><\/p>\nAnd I\u2019m not talking about the “slightly cloudy” kind. I mean thick, blinding fog that could turn a routine landing into a nightmare.<\/p>\n
Which brings us to March 27, 1977<\/strong>.<\/p>\nThe day of the Tenerife Airport Disaster<\/strong>.<\/p>\nTwo Boeing 747s. A tragic miscommunication. The worst aviation accident in history\u2014583 lives lost.<\/p>\n
That day changed everything.<\/p>\n
Los Rodeos was no longer fit for purpose<\/strong> as the island\u2019s main airport. So, in 1978<\/strong>, Tenerife South Airport (TFS) was opened, shifting the bulk of international traffic away from the north.<\/p>\nBut here\u2019s the thing.<\/p>\n
Tenerife North didn\u2019t die.<\/strong> It evolved.<\/p>\nAnd today, it\u2019s thriving<\/strong> as a key airport for domestic flights, business travel, and inter-island connections<\/strong>.<\/p>\nDomestic vs International Connections<\/strong><\/h3>\nSo, who actually flies into Tenerife North<\/strong> these days?<\/p>\nThree main groups:<\/p>\n
1\ufe0f\u20e3 People coming from mainland Spain.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao\u2026<\/strong> you name it.<\/li>\n
- Airlines like Iberia<\/strong> and Air Europa<\/strong> handle these routes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
2\ufe0f\u20e3 Inter-island travellers.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Think island hopping<\/strong> between Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura.<\/li>\n
- The go-to airline? Binter Canarias<\/strong>\u2014the absolute king of short-haul Canarian flights.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
3\ufe0f\u20e3 Business travellers.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- If you\u2019re flying in for work, chances are you\u2019ll land here.<\/li>\n
- It\u2019s closer to Santa Cruz<\/strong>, making it the logical choice for quick trips.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
What about international flights?<\/p>\n
Well\u2026 there aren\u2019t many<\/strong>.<\/p>\nTenerife North does<\/strong> handle some routes to places like Lisbon, Venezuela, and Morocco. But if you\u2019re flying in from London, Berlin, or Rome? You\u2019re landing at TFS.<\/strong><\/p>\nInter-Island Flights in Tenerife<\/strong><\/h2>\nHere\u2019s something most tourists don\u2019t realise.<\/p>\n
Tenerife is not<\/strong> a standalone destination. It\u2019s part of a network. The Canary Islands.<\/strong><\/p>\nAnd that means inter-island travel<\/strong> is a big deal<\/strong>.<\/p>\nWhy?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n- People live on one island and work on another.<\/strong> Daily commutes between Tenerife and Gran Canaria? Totally normal.<\/li>\n
- Medical travel.<\/strong> Some hospitals and specialists are only available on certain islands.<\/li>\n
- Weekend getaways.<\/strong> Yes, locals also<\/em> go on holiday\u2014to Lanzarote, La Palma, or El Hierro.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
And Tenerife North (TFN)<\/strong> is the airport that makes it all happen.<\/p>\nBinter Canarias<\/strong> runs dozens of flights daily<\/strong>, with most journeys under 40 minutes<\/strong>. You could literally land at TFN at 10 AM<\/strong> and be sipping a cortado in Las Palmas before 11 AM<\/strong>.<\/p>\nIt\u2019s that seamless.<\/p>\n
Oh, and if you\u2019re flying in a campervan adventure with AJJ Vans<\/strong> but want to explore other islands? TFN is your golden ticket.<\/strong> Just park your van, hop on a quick flight, and come back a few days later.<\/p>\nTips for Travellers Using Both Airports<\/strong><\/h2>\nAlright. So now you know what<\/strong> the two airports do.<\/p>\nBut which one should you<\/strong> use?<\/p>\nTFS vs TFN \u2013 Which is Right for You?<\/strong><\/h3>\nChoose Tenerife South Airport (TFS) if:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- You\u2019re flying internationally<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
- You\u2019re heading to the south\u2019s tourist hotspots<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
- You want access to more flights, more airlines, and better transport links<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Choose Tenerife North Airport (TFN) if:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- You\u2019re flying between the Canary Islands<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
- You\u2019re arriving from Madrid, Barcelona, or another Spanish city<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
- You want quick access to Santa Cruz & La Laguna<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Getting Between the Airports<\/strong><\/h3>\nNeed to transfer from one airport to the other?<\/p>\n
\n- By car<\/strong> \u2192 45 minutes<\/strong> on the TF-1 motorway.<\/li>\n
- By bus<\/strong> \u2192 Route 343<\/strong> runs directly<\/strong> between TFS and TFN, taking about 50 minutes<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
- By taxi<\/strong> \u2192 Expect to pay \u20ac70-\u20ac100<\/strong> for a direct ride.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\u26a1 Quick tip:<\/strong> If your flight into Tenerife lands at the wrong airport<\/strong>, don\u2019t panic. The bus system is efficient<\/strong>, and renting a car (or a campervan) gives you ultimate flexibility.<\/strong><\/p>\nFAQ \u2013 Everything You Need to Know About Tenerife\u2019s Airports<\/strong><\/h2>\n