Airport operator AENA (Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea) announced that Gran Canaria Airport was “inoperative” due to heavy flooding in the region
All flights were temporarily grounded at a busy Spanish airport this afternoon after torrential rains led to flash flooding.
Airport operator AENA (Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea) announced that Gran Canaria Airport was “inoperative” due to heavy flooding in the region. Pictures from the airport showed water pooling on the runway. The runways were closed down due to the flooding, with one later opening up so aircraft could begin to take off at around 4pm local time.
The airport’s capacity has been significantly reduced while the single runway is in operation, according to Canarias Hora.
“The #Aeropuerto of #GranCanaria is inoperative due to water accumulation on the runways. Work is underway to make them operational as soon as possible. Check with your airline about the status of your flight,” AENA tweeted earlier this afternoon.
The announcement was in response to another post on X from AEMET, which stated: “Very heavy and persistent showers. The greatest adversity will occur in the Mediterranean and areas of Andalusia. In the Canary Islands they will decrease from Wednesday onwards; in the rest of the islands they will remain the same for a good part of the week.”
The airport closing down temporarily is the latest in a string of weather-based incidents to hit Gran Canaria this week. Tourists have been warned to stay indoors due to the rising water levels, which are posing hazards across the island, including cars being dragged into the sea.
The approximate 850,000 residents – 40 per cent of the total population of the Canary Island archipelago – have been impacted by floods. In videos, piles of mud and streets covered in dirt can be seen, as well as cars being swept away in the water and dragged under bridges.
Water on higher ground has travelled down to more densely populated areas on the island, including those in the south which are popular with tourists. In one particular video, a car can be seen being rapidly swept tens of metres into the sea as strong rain hits the island.
A spokesperson for the airport told the Mirror: “From 2.40pm (local time), Gran Canaria Airport was inoperative due to water accumulation on the runways. From 3.20pm (local time) it has been operating with one of its runways. We are working to make the other runway operational as soon as possible. This incident has caused 18 diversions, mainly to TFS and FUE.”