British holidaymakers will be able to return home after all but one of the Canary Islands’ airports reopened following closures caused by a Saharan sandstorm.
Flights from Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma and North Tenerife Airports will be able to take off, according a statement from airport operator Aena.
But those departing South Tenerife continue to be grounded, the statement added.
Flights from Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma and North Tenerife Airports will restart on Monday after planes were grounded at the weekend because of a Saharan dust storm (pictured, sand is blown across from Africa to the islands)
British holidaymakers soaking up some sun during the half term holidays were left stranded after the region’s airports closed at the weekend. Only South Tenerife airport remained shut on Monday
Two travelers protect themselves from the heavy dust while they wait at Gran Canaria Airport after airplanes were not allowed to take-off in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on Sunday
Hundreds of passengers were stranded in the islands airports as flights were delayed and cancelled due to low visibility on Sunday. This group is pictured in Gran Canaria, the main airport on the island
Tourists wait to find out whether their flight has been cancelled at Gran Canaria’s airport on Sunday
A woman applies tear drops to a man affected by the smoke caused by several fires due to the hot waves of wind and dust, in Santa Ursula, Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Hundreds of passengers were stuck in airports across the island at the weekend as they waited to find out whether their flight would be cancelled. Pictured: passengers sitting on the floor at Las Palmas airport
Earlier, customer service staff at the airports told the PA news agency that the airports had remained open for passengers, despite there being no flights to board.
Passengers posted photographs of people sitting on the floor waiting for more information.
Greg Horsman, 29, was on holiday with his girlfriend and his friends on a Tui cruise and was due to fly home to Manchester on Saturday evening.
However, they were forced to stay in Gran Canaria for another two nights due to the storm.
He told PA: ‘It’s frustrating. We’re just ready to be home.’
A spokeswoman for Tui said: ‘We would like to sincerely apologise to customers for the disruption caused by the adverse and changeable weather conditions in the Canary Islands on Saturday and Sunday.
‘The safety of our customers and crew is always our highest priority and we are working tirelessly to find the best solutions for all our customers.’
Tourists are pictured on the island of Tenerife after a storm blew across sand from the Sahara, turning the skies orange
Holidaymakers, including hundred of Britons, and locals got stranded amid the dust storm – which reduced visibility to just a few hundred yards in places
The storm, named Calima, struck Tenerife at the weekend (pictured, Tenerife on Sunday) but was easing on Monday, allowing most flights to resume
Despite the overcast skies temperatures remained warm, as people tried to carry on with their holidays (right)
Britons had been posting photographs of orange skies on the islands as strong winds carrying dust from the Sahara blanketed the islands.
Michael Nixon, who is on holiday in Tenerife with his family to celebrate his 50th birthday and is due to fly home to Newcastle on Wednesday, said ‘pink dust’ had covered his rented apartment balcony.
Speaking on Wednesday, he said: ‘It’s all a bit surreal. A heavy mist came in last night followed by very strong gusty winds during the night.
‘This morning we awoke to yellowish haze and strong winds.
‘We ventured out but it’s difficult to see with all of the sand in the air.
‘We are slightly concerned that our flight home on Wednesday could be affected.
‘The sky is still yellow. It’s around 29C (84F) but visibility is around 200m.’
Tim Crew, 69, had booked a holiday to Lanzarote with his family after cancelling their previous holiday to Hong Kong and Thailand because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Their BA flight out of Gatwick Airport on Sunday has been cancelled and the family has been booked into a hotel.
He said: ‘It’s one of those things really. If no one had talked to us and if there had been obvious problems and culpability, I’d probably be quite annoyed.
Passengers queuing at Tenerife South airport. Meanwhile in the UK, flights out to the Canary Islands are being delayed or cancelled due to the sandstorm
A Ryanair plane attempts to make a landing in the poor visibility. Flights to the islands were cancelled from midday Sunday
A storm carrying clouds of red sand from the Sahara has hit the Canary Islands, shrouding the region in a haze of orange. Pictured: A tourist dries off after a swim in Chica Beach at Puerto del Rosario, Fuerteventra
A view of the runway during a sandstorm blown over from North Africa at Las Palmas Airport, Canary Islands, Gran Canaria on Saturday
‘But everyone’s done the right thing. The pilot came out a few times and told us in person and apologised, saying they had no more news at the moment and they were going to send us to a hotel.
‘It’s not great, it’s not how I planned it, it’s not what I want, but these things happen.’
One resident heralded the storm as the worst she has experienced in 14 years of living on Fuertaventura. ‘The sky has turned orange!’, they said.
The Ministry of Education has also announced that schools will be closed on Monday, reports El Pais.
Residents have shared photos of streets and beaches shrouded in orange dust on social media.
It comes as 250 residents on Gran Canaria evacuated themselves to the beaches as fire swept through the area. Many were able to return to their homes this morning.
The regional government declared a state of alert and advised people to keep doors and windows closed across the archipelago, while authorities in Lanzarote’s capital Arrecife, cancelled all outdoor activities, including some carnival celebrations.
Located around 60 miles off the coast of Morocco, the Canaries are a popular tourist destination for northern Europeans in search of winter sun.
Grounded planes are seen parked on the tarmac during the sandstorm. The conditions have forced Spain’s airport operator AENA to suspend all flights in and out of Gran Canaria and all flights leaving Tenerife on Saturday evening amid severely reduced visibility.
Control tower is pictured amid clouds of red sand blown over from the Sahara
Fuerteventura airport. Budget carrier Vueling, a subsidiary of IAG, said some of its services had been hit and advised passengers to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport
Planes grounded at Gran Canaria airport. Spain’s national weather service warned that winds of up to 75 mph (120 kph) are set to buffet the Canaries until Monday. Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote are likely to be the worst hit, the weather service said
A woman covers her mouth during the sandstorm at Las Palmas Airport, Canary Islands on Saturday
A plane is seen parked on a tarmac at Las Palmas Airport during the sandstorm blown over from North Africa on Saturday. The regional government declared a state of alert and advised people to keep doors and windows closed across the archipelago, while authorities in Lanzarote’s capital Arrecife, cancelled all outdoor activities, including some carnival celebrations
A cruise ship in Las Palmas port is barely visible as one of the worst Saharan dust storms in recent years reduces visibility to 400 metres and caused the cancellation of more than 200 flights on Saturday
One of the worst Saharan dust storms in recent years reduces visibility to 400 metres and caused the cancellationof more than 200 flighs on Saturday