Fuerteventura Airport
Fuerteventura Airport, also known as El Matorral, code FUE, is situated 5km south-west of the island capital of Puerto del Rosario and is Spain's tenth busiest airport. There is one terminal building for all destinations. Passenger numbers through the airport have been steadily increasing, rising to a peak in 2016 of 5.7 million, although the capacity is 8.2 million. The largest numbers are from Germany and the United Kingdom.
Fifty-one airlines operate out of the airport to eighty-two destinations in seventeen countries. Seventeen new routes opened up in 2016/17. Last year there were 45,456 aircraft movements in and out of El Matorral. There is parking for 34 planes at any one time, eleven places with airbridge access. The Cat 1 runway is 3,406 metres in length enabling the airport to handle some of the larger commercial aircraft.
Terminal Building and Facilities
The terminal building is 93,000 square metres spread over two floors and has 64 check-in desks, 24 boarding gates and 15 baggage carousels. There are 12 food and drink outlets with restaurants, cafés, take away, fast food and bars. The 11 shops include the duty-free facility, pharmacy, gift shops, newsagent and fashion outlets.
An unlimited free wifi service is available throughout the terminal and there are internet hotspots. There are also printers in the arrivals and departures halls and in the boarding area.
In addition, there are banking facilities, assistance for people with reduced mobility (PRM) or special needs, a lost and found office, first aid facilities and passenger information desks.
Transportation
- Buses - Three bus routes operate between the airport terminal, Puerto del Rosario and three of the island's main resorts. There are also connections to other locations at the bus station in the capital. Click here for more details.
- Taxis - Licenced taxis are readily available at the rank outside the terminal to any location on the island. Private and shared shuttle buses also operate to and from the airport and the main tourist resorts. These usually have to be booked in advance. You can find more information about these here.
- Trains - There is no rail network in Fuerteventura.
- Car Rental - There are eight car rental agencies inside the terminal with a wide variety of vehicles available to suit your needs. More information is available here.
If you are driving yourself, the airport car park, which is a two-minute walk from the terminal, is easily accessible and has a capacity of 1,650 vehicles.
History
The original airfield in Fuerteventura became an obligatory stop for all aircraft on the route linking the mainland with the Canary Islands in the 1930s.
Work began on a military airfield in 1940 in the municipality of Tefía in the west of the island. This aerodrome was eventually opened to national and international civilian flights in 1950. However, with the increase in commercial flights, the location was considered to be too far from Puerto del Rosario.
It was decided to move the airport to Los Estancos just five kilometres west of the capital city. The new facility was opened in 1952 and all traffic to Tefía ceased.
With the ever-increasing demand and the frequent gusty winds in that location, which often prevented flights from landing, it became apparent that yet another move was needed. The current site at El Matorral, five kilometres south-west of Puerto del Rosario, was chosen.
El Matorral airport was officially opened in 1969. The first flights to European countries began operating out of the new airport in 1973 with the first airline being the German carrier Condor, linking Düsseldorf with Fuerteventura.
The airport has seen continuous growth and since 1978 there have been a series of improvements and expansion to be able to meet the needs of passengers. In 1994, building work began on a new terminal building, access road and an extension to the car park.
During peak periods El Matorral can handle 3,100 passengers an hour.
The Environment
The airport is operated by Aena which takes environmental issues seriously. All flights which take off in the direction of Puerto del Rosario are now required to make a 30 degree right turn on reaching 500 feet which has reduced the number of flights over the city by 60% and reduced the noise level by 40%.
Recycling facilities are provided throughout the site with different bins for glass, plastic, paper, cans, batteries and organic waste.
Water is a precious commodity on an island with very low rainfall and the airport has built a desalination plant which treats 200 cubic metres of seawater per day. This is enough for all the airport's needs.
The airport also has a purifier which treats all of the sewage which it produces. The purified waste is then stored and used to water the extensive garden areas. This has enabled the landscaping of one hundred thousand square metres of green areas where many types of local plants are grown.
Contact Information
Ctra. El Matorral s/n,
35610 Puerto del Rosario,
Fuerteventura (Las Palmas),
Spain
Telephone: (+34) 902 404 704 / (+34) 91 321 10 00
Email: fueinfo@aena.es