Canary Islands airports back open amid huge sandstorm

Low visibility from the dust cloud caused travel chaos on the Spanish islands over the weekend, the BBC reported, and the Canary government’s Directorate General for Security and Emergencies has also warned of strong winds of 120kmh.

The Saharan sandstorm was reportedly so big it could be seen on satellite images from space.

Spanish airport operator Aena told TTG 1,000 flights and 120,000 passengers have been affected since 23 February but all airports are now open – except Tenerife South.

“Gradually, flights are being recovered at airports, which are operating with reduced capacity,” said the spokesperson.

“Check the status of your flight with your airline, because it can still be affected,” Aena advised in a Tweet.