Tenerife South Airport — Local services in Granadilla de Abona

This airport is a tale of two halves- Arrivals and final departure are abysmal. The first part of Departures was excellent: easy bag check in with a short queue. Then followed security- which at the time of writing still has the old style “take out everything and throw away your liquids”. However, plenty of lanes were open and we flew through with no wait at all. The final part of departures is a bit hit and miss- there are two passport control booths to do all international departures at the A-Gates. We were lucky and there was no queue. It could be a pinch point. The final part of departures is a mess - 8 gates in very short succession with one tiny shop. (Get anything you want beforehand!) Finally, boarding your plane- you’ll be lucky to leave on time if you are departing from the Apron at the moment. Because of the Arrival issues, boarding takes a long time to start.

Onto Arrivals… In my history of flying I’ve only had one worse experience of Arrivals at an airport- Berlin. We landed on time, and as we were seated at the front went straight onto a bus (no air bridge- parked a distance from terminal). The air conditioning on the Bus was broken, and the outside weather was as nice sunny day with a temp of around 29 degrees. As you can imagine this was uncomfortable. We then spent over 30 minutes on this bus, inching forwards to a queue for the terminal that snaked outside. No-one was allowed off (for good reason- we were on the tarmac still) and it was an uncomfortable wait with no information or refreshments. After this, we disembarked into a queue that took another 25 minutes until it split in two with no explanation. The right hand side was “automated machines that accepted UK passports- except only three were working. The left hand side led to about 6 booths- which by the time we could see- were fully staffed and moving at a good pace. Meanwhile the ambient temperature in the Airport was approximately 27 degrees, with no apparent cooling.

After finally escaping the ordeal, with no offer of water, or signposted water fountains- we finally got outside- and everything was very efficient. I can only imagine that it passengers at the rear of the aircraft didn’t even get off for a good while before boarding their own bus.

Overall a pretty rubbish experience- and not helped by the international section apparently...

I had a mixed experience at Tenerife South Airport, and it’s hard not to feel frustrated with how inconsistently I was treated.

On arrival, I was genuinely impressed. I was wearing my sunflower lanyard, which signifies hidden disabilities, and the staff were extremely accommodating without me even having to ask for assistance. They made sure I didn’t have to endure long queues at passport control, and the process was smooth, respectful, and stress-free. It left a great first impression, and I was so grateful for their understanding and thoughtfulness.

Unfortunately, my departure experience was the complete opposite. Despite wearing my sunflower lanyard again and clearly carrying a heavy, carefully packed backpack, I was singled out unnecessarily. I was forced to remove my trainers, even though this was only required of people wearing boots—yet I seemed to be the exception. Worse still, I was made to go through security twice without any explanation. I was ordered to unpack my backpack, my belongings were separated, and I was shouted at to hurry up without a shred of compassion or patience. It was humiliating, exhausting, and deeply stressful.

As someone with a disability, I rely on airports to follow basic accessibility guidelines, yet this felt more like a free-for-all where passengers—disabled or not—were treated like criminals. Even children were reduced to tears by the way security staff behaved, barking orders without care for how overwhelming the process was.

I left security drenched in sweat, shaking, and struggling to repack my backpack while trying to collect my belongings from all over the place. It took me ages to calm down from the ordeal, and it’s clear that no effort is being made to create an accessible, humane experience for passengers.

Tenerife South Airport, I urge you to address these glaring issues. Your staff need training—urgently—in how to treat disabled passengers with dignity. Arrival was brilliant, so I know you can do better. But your departure experience was so bad it left a bitter taste in what should have been a relaxing end to my trip....

Reina Sofia Airport, despite its prime location in a major tourist destination, falls far short of expectations for a modern international airport. The facility feels undersized for the volume of passengers it serves, resulting in long queues in the check-in area. Additionally, there are no self-service check-in kiosks or bag drop options, which could have alleviated some of the congestion.

The security process is similarly inefficient, with long wait times and a lack of streamlined procedures. Passengers looking for comfort while waiting for their flights will also be disappointed, as there are no lounges available for members of major alliances such as Star Alliance or SkyTeam.

Boarding is another frustrating aspect of the experience, as it often involves being bussed to the aircraft. This not only highlights the airport's insufficient number of jet bridges but also makes boarding a drawn-out process. Passengers endure multiple stages of queueing—first to board the bus and then again to board the plane—adding unnecessary delays and discomfort.

To make matters worse, the baggage handling system is a complete mess, both at departure and arrival. Our flight was severely delayed because the airport had misplaced luggage and was unable to locate it in time. This underscores a broader issue with the airport’s operational inefficiency.

Reina Sofia Airport also scores a concerning 4.5 out of 5.0 on the flight disruption index, which indicates "major problems with long delays and several canceled flights." Such a high score is a clear reflection of the airport's struggles with infrastructure and operations, severely impacting the passenger experience.

The restroom facilities are poorly maintained, with no paper towels or hand dryers, reflecting a lack of attention to basic amenities.

In summary, Reina Sofia Airport is plagued by significant issues in infrastructure, service, and operational efficiency. Major upgrades are urgently needed to improve the passenger experience and bring the airport up to...