Tenerife South Airport Set for 2027 Completion Following Multi-Year Transformation
Tenerife South Airport is set to complete a multi-decade transformation in 2027, finalizing the unification of its facilities to better serve as the Canary Islands' primary international gateway.
The ongoing transformation of Tenerife South Airport, set to conclude in 2027, marks the final stage of a long journey to adapt to the demands of international air travel. Once a collection of disconnected facilities, the airport has evolved into a unified terminal—a shift that highlights its vital role in connecting the Canary Islands to the rest of the world.
Known today as Reina Sofía Airport, the facility was born out of necessity. While the Granadilla de Abona area was identified as an ideal location as early as the 1930s, it wasn't until 1970 that the land was officially acquired. The tragic 1977 air disaster at the island’s northern airport, Los Rodeos, accelerated the project, and the southern facility began commercial operations in November 1978, officially opened by Queen Sofía.
For decades, the airport struggled with a fragmented layout. A second terminal, designed by Alberto Campo Baeza’s team, was added in the early 2000s, but the two buildings remained poorly integrated. This changed in May 2022 with the opening of the "Union Building." This €64 million project increased the airport's capacity from 12 to 16 million passengers annually by adding 50,000 square meters of space for check-in and security, alongside modernized baggage systems and runways.
This constant evolution reflects the changing face of tourism in the Canary Islands. The final phase of construction, scheduled for autumn 2027, will fully unify the airport's structure. It marks the end of a 50-year transition, during which the airport grew from an emergency solution into the island’s primary international gateway—a necessary response to the massive surge in passenger numbers since that first Iberia DC-9 flight landed in 1978.