Airport taxes in the Canary Islands will continue to be waived into 2012 to assist in the recovery of the tourist sector. As Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the President of the Spanish Government, assured that the duties normally paid by airlines to land at Spanish airports, will continue to be suspended in the Canary archipelago next year. The taxes have not been applied to flights landing since the beginning of 2010, as part of an agreement with several low cost carriers to extend their routes across the islands. In particular, the budget airline Ryanair only agreed to expand its services in 2010 as long as AENA, the Spanish Airport Authority, maintained the waiver on airport taxes. This measure has met with success in boosting passenger numbers to the major airports over the last two years. For example, the number of arrivals at Arrecife airport has increased by 15% since the introduction of the waiver. A view supported by AENA´s passenger number statistics for this period. Ryanair has greatly increased their commitment to the Islands with the expansion of services and the creation of new hubs and bases.
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