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The airline connectivity team at Turismo de Islas Canarias has travelled to Turkey with an intense working schedule in order to present the latest airline route offer from the recent call for bids by the Flight Development Fund (FDF) during the Connect forum, an annual meeting which brings together the world’s leading international airline companies.

Participating at international air transport forums provides an opportunity to share relevant information on the destination, and to showcase the islands’ offer, to present promotional material and communication campaigns which contribute to increasing the demand for seats for the archipelago, in addition to providing information on other aspects of interest such as airport discounts and the tax breaks offered at the Zona Especial Canaria (Special Canary Zone).

The amount of money provided through the FDF incentives is the tip of the iceberg for airline companies who normally handle a huge number of different options. It is a long term task because not all airlines plan their operation forecasts in the same way and some indeed require years in order to include them in their expansion plans.

Consensus with the islands’ promotional entities

The selection of routes by the FDF is the result of analysis and consensus between Turismo de Islas Canarias and the islands’ promotional entities in accordance with their strategic interest, their viability and the fact the routes haven’t previously existed. Specifically, the 20 routes on offer will connect the archipelago with markets in European countries which continue to offer potential for growth, including Hungary, Poland, France, Austria, Italy, Ireland and Norway, as well as improve connectivity with other traditional markets that are hugely important for tourism in the Canary Islands, such as Germany and the United Kingdom.  

The routes offered will join the island of Lanzarote with the German cities of Bremen, Dresden and the capital of Hungary, Budapest; Fuerteventura with Friedrichshafen in Germany, Budapest and the Irish city of Cork; Gran Canaria with Marseille, Toulouse, Turin and Gdansk (Poland); Tenerife with Austrian cities Graz and Linz, Venice and Kristiansand (Norway); and La Palma with Bremen, Nantes, Lyon, Bristol, Birmingham and Belfast.

With a budget of 3.5 million euros, if all routes offered were started up it would lead to an increased capacity of some 190,000 annual incoming plane seats, although it must be taken into account that some of these routes would only be operating during the winter season. Given that the initial commitment that the airlines must make to the route is two years, it would mean a total increase of airline seats of 380,000 over this period.

The airlines that are interested in submitting their offers must include a detailed business plan including marketing, promotion, the viability of the route, and the call for bids will remain open indefinitely.