Gran Canaria International Airport
Encyclopedia
Gran Canaria Airport , , is the fifth busiest airport in Spain
. It is an airport located on Gran Canaria Island
. In 2010 it handled nearly 9.5 million passengers, a 3.6% increase compared with 2009.
The airport is located in the eastern part of Gran Canaria on the Bay of Gando (Bahía de Gando), 19 km (11.8 mi) south of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
, and 25 km (15.5 mi) from the popular tourist areas in the south. The lengthy runways made the airport an alternative landing site for the NASA
Space Shuttle
.
, Alicante
and Barcelona.
The airport opened on 7 April 1930, after King Alfonso XIII
signed a royal order announcing that the military air force installations on the Bay of Gando would become a civilian airfield. In its existence, the airport has become the largest gateway into the Canary Islands
, as well as the largest in terms of passenger and cargo operations.
In 1946, the old passenger terminal opened, which took two years to build. In 1948 a runway was built, which was completed and fully tarmacked in 1957.
In 1963, improvements to the airport were made. This included new parking spaces, enlargement of the terminal, a visual approach slope indicator system was built and a new control tower was built, replacing the old control tower that was constructed in 1946. The control tower was completed in 1966. In 1964, a transmission station was built.
In 1970, work began on the current passenger terminal that is being used to operate flights today. The new terminal opened in March 1973. During this time, a second runway was being built, and this was completed in 1980.
On 18 February 1988, Binter Canarias
announced that the airline's main base was to be established at Gran Canaria. The base opened on 26 March 1989.
In October 1991, the terminal was enlarged with improved facilities so it could handle more passengers.
In December 2010, low cost carrier Ryanair
announced the opening of 3 new bases on the Canary Islands. In addition to Gran Canaria these include Lanzarote and Tenerife South
. From 16 February 2011, Ryanair will operate 30 routes from Gran Canaria, 12 of which are new.
The terminal is split into three zones. Zone A is for European Union Flights, Zone B is for International flights outside the European Union and Zone C is for flights to the other Canary Islands.
The terminal is to be extended but it is unknown when it will be completed. The main reason is so that the terminal can handle a greater volume of passengers. There will be more check-in desks, baggage carousels and airbridges. There is also to be more space outside the terminal with new car parks.
Furthermore, Gran Canaria's main motorway GC1
runs directly past the airport providing fast transport links to Las Palmas in the North and to the popular tourist resorts in the South. The motorway has been upgraded and widened many times, particularly towards the South since the 1980s to cope with the increased levels of traffic caused by tourism.
to the east of the runways. Beyond several hangars opposite to the passenger terminal, the Gando Air Base (Base Aérea de Gando) contains ten shelters situated on the southern end of the eastern runway. They harbor F/A-18 Hornet
s, Eurofighter Typhoon
, Dassault Mirage F1
, Eurocopter AS 532, Fokker F27
of the Ala 46 . Ala 46 or 46 Wing, composed of 462 and 802 fighter squadron, defends the Spanish airspace around the Canary Islands.
There is also the Canary Islands Air Command (Mando Aéreo de Canarias – MACAN). Canary Islands Air Command is the only organization territorialized Air Command Air Force General of Spain and its mission is the maintenance and preparation of air units located in the Canary archipelago, and the preparation of command.
At 1:15 PM on 27 March 1977, a bomb planted by the Movement for the Independence and Autonomy of the Canaries Archipelago (MPAIAC) exploded in a florist's shop on the terminal concourse. Airport authorities had been warned of the blast 10 minutes before, so although the bomb damaged the inside of the terminal, the building was being evacuated at the time and there were no fatalities. However, eight people were injured, one seriously. Later, another telephone call was received claiming responsibility for the explosion and hinting that a second bomb was planted somewhere in the terminal building. The civil aviation authorities closed the airport pending a thorough search for the second bomb. The closure necessitated the diversion of several incoming flights, including a number of large aircraft on long international flights, to Los Rodeos airport on the nearby island of Tenerife
(Los Rodeos is now known as Tenerife North Airport). The resulting runway congestion on the small regional airport was a factor in the subsequent disaster at Los Rodeos, when just after 5pm local time two Boeing 747
s originally bound for Gran Canaria collided on the Los Rodeos runway, resulting in 583 deaths, the worst aviation accident in history.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. It is an airport located on Gran Canaria Island
Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria is the second most populous island of the Canary Islands, with a population of 838,397 which constitutes approximately 40% of the population of the archipelago...
. In 2010 it handled nearly 9.5 million passengers, a 3.6% increase compared with 2009.
The airport is located in the eastern part of Gran Canaria on the Bay of Gando (Bahía de Gando), 19 km (11.8 mi) south of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria commonly known as Las Palmas is the political capital, jointly with Santa Cruz, the most populous city in the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands and the ninth largest city in Spain, with a population of 383,308 in 2010. Nearly half of the people of the island...
, and 25 km (15.5 mi) from the popular tourist areas in the south. The lengthy runways made the airport an alternative landing site for the NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
.
History
In 1919, Frenchman Pierre George Latécoère was granted clearance from the French & Spanish governments to establish an airline route between Toulouse & Casablanca. This also included stopovers in MalagaMálaga Airport
Málaga Airport , also known as Malaga Costa Del Sol Airport and Pablo Ruiz Picasso Airport, is the fourth busiest airport in Spain after Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca. It is an important airport for Spanish tourism as it is the main international airport serving the Costa Del Sol....
, Alicante
Alicante Airport
Alicante Airport , , originally named El Altet, is the sixth busiest airport in Spain, and the main airport for the Province of Alicante and the Region of Murcia. The airport is situated southwest of Alicante and east of Elche in the municipality of Elche on Mediterranean coast. Up to eighty...
and Barcelona.
The airport opened on 7 April 1930, after King Alfonso XIII
Alfonso XIII of Spain
Alfonso XIII was King of Spain from 1886 until 1931. His mother, Maria Christina of Austria, was appointed regent during his minority...
signed a royal order announcing that the military air force installations on the Bay of Gando would become a civilian airfield. In its existence, the airport has become the largest gateway into the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, as well as the largest in terms of passenger and cargo operations.
In 1946, the old passenger terminal opened, which took two years to build. In 1948 a runway was built, which was completed and fully tarmacked in 1957.
In 1963, improvements to the airport were made. This included new parking spaces, enlargement of the terminal, a visual approach slope indicator system was built and a new control tower was built, replacing the old control tower that was constructed in 1946. The control tower was completed in 1966. In 1964, a transmission station was built.
In 1970, work began on the current passenger terminal that is being used to operate flights today. The new terminal opened in March 1973. During this time, a second runway was being built, and this was completed in 1980.
On 18 February 1988, Binter Canarias
Binter Canarias
Binter Canarias S.A. is an airline based in Gran Canaria, Spain. It is a regional carrier operating inter-island services within the Canary Islands, in addition to services to Morocco, and Portugal. The airline carried 2.9 million passengers in 2008...
announced that the airline's main base was to be established at Gran Canaria. The base opened on 26 March 1989.
In October 1991, the terminal was enlarged with improved facilities so it could handle more passengers.
In December 2010, low cost carrier Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
announced the opening of 3 new bases on the Canary Islands. In addition to Gran Canaria these include Lanzarote and Tenerife South
Tenerife South Airport
Tenerife South Airport , previously known as Tenerife South-Reina Sofia Airport, is one of two international airports located on the island of Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands . Between its opening and the end of 2006, a total of 173,912,207 passengers passed through the airport...
. From 16 February 2011, Ryanair will operate 30 routes from Gran Canaria, 12 of which are new.
Terminal
The airport has one terminal which opened in March 1973. It was later extened in October 1991 to slightly increase passenger traffic.The terminal is split into three zones. Zone A is for European Union Flights, Zone B is for International flights outside the European Union and Zone C is for flights to the other Canary Islands.
The terminal is to be extended but it is unknown when it will be completed. The main reason is so that the terminal can handle a greater volume of passengers. There will be more check-in desks, baggage carousels and airbridges. There is also to be more space outside the terminal with new car parks.
Airlines and destinations
Note: † denotes charter airlines and their destinationsStatistics
| Passengers | Aircraft Movements | Cargo (tonnes) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 9,376,640 | 98,063 | 43,706 |
| 2001 | 9,332,132 | 93,291 | 40,860 |
| 2002 | 9,009,756 | 93,803 | 39,638 |
| 2003 | 9,181,229 | 99,712 | 40,050 |
| 2004 | 9,467,494 | 104,659 | 40,934 |
| 2005 | 9,827,157 | 110,748 | 40,389 |
| 2006 | 10,286,726 | 114,949 | 38,360 |
| 2007 | 10,354,903 | 114,355 | 37,491 |
| 2008 | 10,212,123 | 116,252 | 33,695 |
| 2009 | 9,155,665 | 101,557 | 25,994 |
| 2010 | 9,486,035 | 103,087 | 24,528 |
| Source: Aena Statistics Aena Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea , literally "Spanish Airports and Air Navigation", is the Spanish public body that owns and operates the majority of airports in Spain, with the exceptions of the private owned Ciudad Reals and Lleida-Alguaire Airport. Aena is also responsible for Air... |
|||
Gran Canaria Airport 2013
Currently Gran Canaria airport is under construction.Among the improvements are increasing the number of baggage belts, 16 to 24, check-in counters from 96 to 132, and gates, up to 40. The new terminal will be fully active in 2013 doubling the current area.Ground transportation
The airport is accessible by several island roadways leading from all points in the island, as well as special bus service available from most towns within Gran Canaria. Taxi service is considered the most efficient way since the island has its own taxi services, and low fares.Furthermore, Gran Canaria's main motorway GC1
GC1 (Gran Canaria)
The GC1 is a superhighway on the island of Gran Canaria. It links the capital Las Palmas in the north with Puerto Rico in the south. It is the fastest route from the top of the island to the bottom and vice versa with a top speed limit of 120 km/h...
runs directly past the airport providing fast transport links to Las Palmas in the North and to the popular tourist resorts in the South. The motorway has been upgraded and widened many times, particularly towards the South since the 1980s to cope with the increased levels of traffic caused by tourism.
Military use
There is an airbase of the Spanish Air ForceSpanish Air Force
-The early stages:Hot air balloons had been used with military purposes in Spain as far back as 1896. In 1905, with the help of Alfredo Kindelán, Leonardo Torres y Quevedo directed the construction of the first Spanish dirigible in the Army Military Aerostatics Service, created in 1896 and located...
to the east of the runways. Beyond several hangars opposite to the passenger terminal, the Gando Air Base (Base Aérea de Gando) contains ten shelters situated on the southern end of the eastern runway. They harbor F/A-18 Hornet
F/A-18 Hornet
The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is a supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to dogfight and attack ground targets . Designed by McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, the F/A-18 was derived from the latter's YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and...
s, Eurofighter Typhoon
Eurofighter Typhoon
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole combat aircraft, designed and built by a consortium of three companies: EADS, Alenia Aeronautica and BAE Systems; working through a holding company, Eurofighter GmbH, which was formed in 1986...
, Dassault Mirage F1
Dassault Mirage F1
The Dassault Mirage F1 is a French air-superiority fighter and attack aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation as a successor of the Mirage III family. The Mirage F1 entered service in the French Air Force in the early seventies...
, Eurocopter AS 532, Fokker F27
Fokker F27
The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner...
of the Ala 46 . Ala 46 or 46 Wing, composed of 462 and 802 fighter squadron, defends the Spanish airspace around the Canary Islands.
There is also the Canary Islands Air Command (Mando Aéreo de Canarias – MACAN). Canary Islands Air Command is the only organization territorialized Air Command Air Force General of Spain and its mission is the maintenance and preparation of air units located in the Canary archipelago, and the preparation of command.
MPAIAC bombing and Tenerife disaster
- See also Tenerife airport disaster
At 1:15 PM on 27 March 1977, a bomb planted by the Movement for the Independence and Autonomy of the Canaries Archipelago (MPAIAC) exploded in a florist's shop on the terminal concourse. Airport authorities had been warned of the blast 10 minutes before, so although the bomb damaged the inside of the terminal, the building was being evacuated at the time and there were no fatalities. However, eight people were injured, one seriously. Later, another telephone call was received claiming responsibility for the explosion and hinting that a second bomb was planted somewhere in the terminal building. The civil aviation authorities closed the airport pending a thorough search for the second bomb. The closure necessitated the diversion of several incoming flights, including a number of large aircraft on long international flights, to Los Rodeos airport on the nearby island of Tenerife
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
(Los Rodeos is now known as Tenerife North Airport). The resulting runway congestion on the small regional airport was a factor in the subsequent disaster at Los Rodeos, when just after 5pm local time two Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
s originally bound for Gran Canaria collided on the Los Rodeos runway, resulting in 583 deaths, the worst aviation accident in history.