Low-cost companies are avoiding in this 2018 that the Canary Islands lose tourists. Arrivals in low cost airlines have grown in this first quarter by 11%, enough at the moment to compensate for the drop of 4% of the market of traditional lines.

Canarias has found in the low air cost model its greatest ally to maintain the historic figures of tourists reached in 2017. Low cost airlines have transported 1.6 million passengers to the Canary Islands during the first quarter, which means that they have gained 175,000 travellers compared to the same period last year, according to the data of the General Subdirectorate of Knowledge and Tourism Studies, under the Ministry of Tourism.

This increase of 10,9% of users who have arrived in the islands in low-cost companies has offset the decline of the traditional, which in the first quarter drag a loss of almost 85.000 passengers transported to the islands, to stay in the 2,174,235 users (-3.9% year-on-year) in the accumulated of this 2018. The push of companies that have opted for low-cost management has allowed the archipelago to close this first assault of the year with positive global figures: During the first three months of 2018, all airlines have moved 3.78 million international travellers to the islands, almost 72.000 more than in the same period last year (+ 1,9%).

This positive balance so far this year has been clearly influenced by the marked increase in results in March, due to the advance to March, this year, of the celebration of Holy Week. In the third month of the year, the low cost transported 564.920 passengers in the Canary Islands, 12,6% more than in the same month of 2017. Despite the calendar effect, traditional airlines lost 0,1% of users compared to March last year, up to 800.218 users.

Gran Canaria leads the growth of arrivals in low-cost companies in the archipelago: 146.018 passengers landed on board their planes in March, 22,1% more than in the same month of 2017. The figure rises to 422.010 passengers in the first quarter, 15,2% more year-on-year. The one of Gran Canaria stays with these numbers like the eighth airport with more low-cost traffic of Spain. It continues below Tenerife (sixth in the national ranking), with 217,179 users received on low cost airlines (+ 4% year-on-year); and 626.168 in the first three months of 2018 (+ 4,5%). The third aerodrome with more low-cost weight in the Canary Islands is Lanzarote; with 17.790 entries in March, 9,1% more; and 325.747 in the quarter, 10,1% more. Low-cost airlines transported 8,61 million passengers on international flights to Spain in the first quarter, which is 13,9% more than in the same period of 2017. Traditional companies moved to 7,78 million passengers. passengers until March, 1,5% more, of the total of 16,4 million international travellers, 7,6% more than a year before.

Source: Canarias 7 – 18.04.2018