Lanzarote airport closed and all flights delayed after the scene
Spanish air traffic controllers reported that drone sightings briefly halted operations at Cesar Manrique-Lanzarote airport on Sunday.
A busy Spanish airport was forced to halt operations over the weekend.
Cesar Manrique-Lanzarote airport was briefly paralyzed after 4pm on Sunday after the drone was spotted. Spanish air traffic controllers said on X: “Operations at Lanzarote airport are halted due to the presence of a drone nearby. Incoming traffic is in a holding pattern. There is a delay for safety reasons.”
It was not immediately clear whether any flights to or from Britain were affected. The runway is understood to have been closed for about an hour before normal operations resumed.
Pilots of incoming flights were asked to enter a holding pattern before being allowed to land. No one was forced to divert to other airports in the Canary Islands. It is not yet known who was operating the drone, although the police are investigating.
Earlier on Sunday, passengers were briefly evacuated from Tenerife North Airport after smoke was seen in the boarding area (File) (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
unauthorised use of drones for recreational purposes in restricted areas such as airports can result in a fine of up to €200,000 (approximately £200,000). For commercial use, the fine could rise to €4.5 million (£3.9 million).
In September last year, three planes filled with holidaymakers were diverted from Fuenteventura airport after at least one drone was spotted over the Canary Islands’ Playa Blanca area, south of El Matortal.
The diverted flights were travelling from Seville, Santiago de Compostela and Gran Canaria. The Ryanair flight from Santiago de Compostela was diverted to Lanzarote, while the other two were redirected to Gran Canaria Airport.
Earlier this Sunday, holidaymakers were evacuated from Tenerife North Airport for more than an hour after smoke was seen in the boarding area.
Hundreds of passengers were ordered to evacuate around 8:30 a.m. when firefighters were called. It later emerged that the smoke was caused by a fire in a café inside the airport, which is about seven miles from the island’s capital, Santa Cruz.
Some passengers missed flights, though it was not immediately clear Monday how many passengers needed to reaccommodate themselves. Footage from the scene shows a thick cloud of white smoke near the boarding gate.
A witness said, “I was one of the first to see it and the Civil Guard came and ordered us to leave the area. There was smoke coming out of some grills on the floor.”
Another described the smell as similar to burnt rubber and said her flight was “half full” without him but with his checked luggage.
Spanish airport operator Aena confirmed just before noon on Sunday: “There has been an incident with smoke at Tenerife North-Ciudad de la Laguna airport and the boarding area has been evacuated.
“Airport firefighters are responding to the area. If you are traveling please consult your airline about your flight.” It later said, “The situation at the airport is returning to normal. There has been a slight delay in outbound flights.”
