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Already at our arrival at Tenerife South Airport (Tenerife-Sur Reina Sofia) the whole apron almost burst at its seams with arriving and departing aircrafts! The entire EU area was probably at a "rendezvous" with sun-seeking tourists who wanted to escape the winter in continental Europe. For us it was already clear: A paradise for aviation spotters! In the up-coming days we were able to capture unforgettable impressions that we had so not really expected. Great pictures with fantastic background motifs were guaranteed, on the volcanic "hot spot" of Tenerife. An experience that can only be recommended!
ATR-72-500, EC-KYI, of Binter Canarias during landing (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Primera Scandinavia, Boeing 737-86N(WL), OY-PSH on final to TFS (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Primera Scandinavia, Boeing 737-86N(WL), OY-PSC on line-up (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
A320-214(SL), G-EZWM, of esyJet (UK) delivered in July 13 (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
A320-214(SL), G-EZWM, of esyJet (UK) delivered in July 13 (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
A320-214(SL), G-EZWM, of esyJet (UK) delivered in July 13 (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Boeing 737-8JP(WL), LN-DYC “Max Manus”, of Norwegian Air Shuttle on line-up (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Boeing 737-8JP(WL), LN-NID “Christina Nilsson”, of Norwegian Air Shuttle (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Boeing 737-8JP(WL), LN-NOL “6000th 737”, of Norwegian Air Shuttle (Picture courtesy Paul Bannwarth)
Boeing 737-8JP(WL), LN-NOL “6000th 737”, of Norwegian Air Shuttle (Picture courtesy Paul Bannwarth)
Two Boeing 737-8JP(WL) of Norwegian Air Shuttle line-up on a sunny, late afternoon (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Condor Boeing 757-300(WL), D-ABON “Wir lieben Fliegen” on final approach to TFS (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Condor Boeing 757-300(WL), D-ABON “Wir lieben Fliegen” on final approach to TFS (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Condor Boeing 757-300(WL), D-ABOI “Jonasch the Frog” on landing (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Condor Boeing 757-300(WL), D-ABOJ in latest livery of Thomas Cook group (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Condor Boeing 757-300(WL), D-ABOC in old livery of Thomas Cook group (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Thomas Cook, Belgium, A320-214, OO-TCI (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
„Bienvenido“ a Tenerife
The largest of the Canary Islands, Tenerife, thanks to its year-round mild climate (20-25°C+) is a near dream destination for sun-seeking tourists, especially in the wintertime. Comprehensible the Canary Islands are also known as the islands of the "eternal spring". The tourist season is not, such as assumed, in the summertime but in the winter months. Thousands of tourists, but also retired seniors have chosen Tenerife as there "winter quarters". Not only the pleasant climate, but also the low cost of living, which are about half below of our cost, causing more and more Europeans to choose the Canaries Island as their "second home". These findings were already aware for us in the coming days and spared our budget considerably!
However, it is to say, from the perspective of a spotter, that the weather in Tenerife can be very moody and unpredictable as following images will show. Due to its exposed location in the Atlantic Ocean, the mighty mountain range on the island with the volcano Teide (3,718 a.s.l.), accurate weather predictions are impossible. Blue skies and sunshine in the morning, and then; gray and rain in the afternoon. Even the mighty volcano Teide was coated overnight with a blanket of fresh snow, which it gave some pictures a special contrast-effect.
Thomas Cook, Belgium, A320-214, OO-TCH, “ICE WATCH by Swatch Group” livery (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Thomas Cook, Belgium, A320-214, OO-TCI “Gran Canaria” special livery only on one side (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Condor by Thomas Cook, A320-212, D-AICJ during take-off (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Small Planet, A320-232, LY-SPA from Lithuania (Picture courtesy Paul Bannwarth)
Thomas Cook (UK), Boeing 767-31K(ER)(WL), G-TCCB, refitted with Winglets (Picture courtesy Paul Bannwarth)
Airbus A321-231, SE-RDO, of the Swedish Company Novair (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Airbus A321-231, SE-RDP, of Novair line-up runway 08 at TFS (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Jettime, Danemark, Boeing 737-7L9(WL), OY-JTU, was refitted with new Winglets (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Jettime, Danemark, Boeing 737-7L9(WL), OY-JTD (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Orbest, AirbusA320-214, CS-TRL, from Portugal (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Ryanair has up to 4 Boeing 737 based at Tenerife Sur (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Ryanair, Boeing 737-8AS(WL), EI-EVV, “Krakow Malopolska” livery (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
VIA of Bulgaria flies this A320-232, LZ-MDR, into Tenerife Sur (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
This Air Berlin A320-214, D-ABDB, formerly belongs to OLT Express, Poland (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Air Berlin, Boeing 737-86J(WL), D-ABMV (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Air Berlin, A321-211, D-ABCC during take-off (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Air Berlin, A320-214, D-ABDP, with full reverse on the wet runway! (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Transavia from Holland with their B737-8K2(WL), PH-HSE (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Alba Star from Spain with a B737-408, EC-LAV (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Hamburg Airways in a special livery with their A319-112, D-AHHB (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Airport Teneriffa South, Reina Sofia
The airport was built in the 70s
and on 6th November 1978 handed over for its operations; named as Tenerife
Sur. The name "Reina Sofia" refers back to Queen Sophia of Spain, how
officially opened the new airport on that memorable day.
After the old Tenerife Airport, Los Rodeos in the north, near the capital,
Santa Cruz, didn’t meet the requirements anymore; due to passenger overload,
as well as poor weather conditions, such as heavy wind shears etc., it was
probably the right decision to build a new airport in the south of the
island.
Today, Tenerife South (IATA-Code:
TFS), is the main "gateway" for most airlines approaching the Island. About
seventy percent of the passenger traffic and more than thirty percent of the
freight traffic of the Canaries Islands are handled via Tenerife South.
With his only runway (08/26, 3200 m), the airport handles over 10 million
passengers annually, as well as several thousand tons of cargo.
Over fifty airlines fly to
Tenerife South all year round. In addition to the well-known low-cost
carriers such as easyJet, Ryanair, Thomson, Jet2, Monarch, Norwegian,
Condor, TUIfly, Air Berlin and many others; of course there are also some
exotics airlines approaching Tenerife. For these airlines Tenerife is almost
a long-haul destination such as:.
Nordwind Airlines with A321 and A333 Aeroflot from Moscow Sheremetyevo,
Rossiya with the B763 from St. Petersburg, as well as UTair/B752, VIM/B752
and Transaero B773 from Moscow-Domodedovo.
The scheduled air services to the Spanish mainland are operated mainly by
Iberia and Iberia Express.
In addition to the regularly
traffic, Tenerife South can come up with some surprises. So we had the
unique opportunity to catch with our cameras a Avianca Airbus A319-132SL "Sharklets"
on his delivery flight from Hamburg-Finkenwerder to Bogota, via Tenerife
South and Fortaleza, Brasil, during a fuel stop at TFS.
Such delivery flights for customers from South America, via Tenerife, is not
uncommon and mainly concern short-and medium-haul aircraft manufacturers by
Airbus and ATR. Occasionally, also some aircrafts manufacturer by Embraer of
Brazil can be seen on their delivery flights to Europe with a "fuel stop" in
Tenerife.
Hamburg Airways in a special livery with their A319-112, D-AHHB (Picture courtesy Paul Bannwarth)
Boeing 737-86N(WL), I-NEOZ “Monte Rosa”, of NEOS Italy (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Boeing 737-86N(WL), I-NEOS, of NEOS Italy (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Boeing 737-8K5(WL), D-ATUE “ICE-Im Zug zum Flug” livery (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Edelweiss, Airbus A320-214, HB-IHZ in colorful livery (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Travel Service, Poland, Boeing 737-8BK(WL), SP-TVZ (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Evelop, Airbus A320-214 “Sharklets”, EC-LZD (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Evelop, Airbus A320-214 “Sharklets”, EC-LZD (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Boeing 737-8K5(WL), OO-JPT, of Jetairfly, Tui Belgium (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Boeing 737-7K5(WL), OO-JAR, of Jetairfly, Tui Belgium (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Boeing 737-804(WL), PH-CDF, Corendon Dutch Airlines (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Snow covered Mt. Teide with a blast that looks like he is going to break out! (Picture courtesy Paul Bannwarth)
Monarch (UK), Airbus A320-214(SL), G-ZBAB (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Monarch (UK), Airbus A321-231, G-OZBZ (Picture courtesy Paul Bannwarth)
Monarch (UK), Airbus A320-214(SL), G-ZBAB (Picture courtesy Paul Bannwarth)
Monarch (UK), Airbus A321-231, G-OZBZ, line-up at nice sunset in TFS (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Boeing 737-36N(WL), G-GDFK, of Jet2holidays from England (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Boeing 737-33V(WL), G-GDFN, of Jet2holidays from England (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Airbus A321-211, G-TCDA, of Tomas Cook, UK “Egypt- where it all begins” special livery (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Airbus A321-211(SL), G-TCDC, of Tomas Cook, UK, in brand-new livery (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Boeing 757-236, G-TCBC, of Tomas Cook, UK “Egypt- where it all begins” special livery (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Boeing 757-21B, G-LSAI, of Jet2, UK (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Icelandair, Boeing 757-208(WL), TF-FIP during take-off (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Enter, Boeing 737-8Q8(WL), SP-ENX (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Aeroflot, Airbus A330-343X, VQ-BPK, in beautiful sunset light (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Aeroflot, Airbus A330-343X, VQ-BPK, in beautiful sunset light (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Rossiya, Boeing 767-3Q8(ER), EI-ECB, from Moscow-Domodedovo (Picture courtesy Paul Bannwarth)
Bingo Airways, Airbus A320-233, SP-ABK (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Germania, Airbus A319-112, D-ASTZ, with special livery on the back (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Germania, Boeing 737-7L9(WL), D-AGEY, ex Sterling Airways (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
UTair, Russia, Boeing 757-200, VP-BLT (Picture courtesy Paul Bannwarth)
Nordwind Airlines, Airbus A321-23, VQ-BRM from Russia (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Nordwind Airlines, Airbus A321-23, VQ-BRM from Russia during take-off(Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Thomson,UK, Boeing 757-28A(WL), G-OOBD “TCS & Starquest Expedition” Explorer livery (Picture courtesy Paul Bannwarth)
Boeing 737-73V(WL), F-GZTD, of Europe Airpost (Picture courtesy Paul Bannwarth)
Avianca, Airbus A319-132(SL), N690AV, on their delivery flight to Bogota, Colombia (Picture courtesy Paul Bannwarth)
Iberia Express in new livery, Airbus A320-216, EC-LUS (Picture courtesy Paul Bannwarth)
Iberia Express in new livery, Airbus A320-216, EC-LUS (Picture courtesy Paul Bannwarth)
Adria Airways, Airbus A319-132, S5-AAR (Picture courtesy Paul Bannwarth)
Airbus A320-214, ES-SAL, from Smart Lynx, Estonia (Picture courtesy Paul Bannwarth)
VIM Airlines from Russia with Boeing 757-230, RA-71017 (Picture courtesy Paul Bannwarth)
Condor, Airbus A320-212, D-AICA, in retro livery of the 1950/60th (Picture courtesy Paul Bannwarth)
And where are the best spotting places?
Well, probably a fair question.
- The answer gave us the local counterparts of the Canary Islands Spotters
on our first morning on the approach-side at Tenerife South. In recent
years, in particular Spain and the Canary Islands had to suffer from the
economic crisis. Many construction projects, such as the second parallel
runway at Tenerife South could not be realized and were probably, due to
lack of money, cancelled for unknown time.
On this now unused lot of land the Canary Islands Spotters, build two
substantial Spotter hills in cooperation with the airport and the
authorities. As you can see from the following impressions, the effort of
our colleagues paid out!
So; there is a spotter hill in the middle of the runway with the best photo
positions to catch airplanes during take-off and landing; as well as an
additional platform at the line-up for runway 08. More photo positions are
found naturally in the relevant Spotter forums on the Internet.
