The Minister of Public Works, Housing, and Mobility, Pablo Rodríguez, highlighted that the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has initiated the urgent processing of air PSOs for connections between El Hierro, La Gomera, and La Palma. This initiative responds to repeated requests from the Canary Islands Executive and will halve the standard procedure timelines.
On October 30th, it was agreed to process the PSO declaration proposal urgently, with a five-day hearing period for the Canary Islands Government. The state draft includes conditions such as a minimum daily round-trip frequency per route, a minimum capacity of 27,000 annual seats per connection, aircraft with at least 38 seats, and a reference fare of 84 euros.
The Ministry has submitted seven amendments to the draft to ensure real connectivity, including the joint operation of the three routes, the establishment of mandatory time slots for same-day round trips, and a progressive increase in frequencies. It also aims to prevent additional costs for passengers on routes with intermediate stops.
Regarding maritime transport, the Canary Islands Government has requested the Ministry to declare a PSO for the triangular route between La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro. Currently, services operate under free provision with two companies. Due to a lack of response, the Ministry is analyzing current demand to assess the offering and propose PSOs if necessary.
Minister Rodríguez welcomed the start of the air route processing, emphasizing that the goal is to make the connections truly useful for the population. If no companies bid after approval by the Council of Ministers, a public tender will be held, with connections potentially operational by summer 2027.
