Ericsson Racing team opens base on Lanzarote
With Scandinavia moving into the fall, the Ericsson Racing Team is starting a new phase in its preparation for the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009. On Tuesday, Ericsson's training yacht set sail from Stockholm to Lanzarote and the training camp that will be the team's base for almost a year.
A combination of Ericsson's two crews is now sailing to Lanzarote. Brad Jackson from the international crew, with four Whitbread/Volvo Ocean Races behind him, is in command for the voyage. Also onboard is Anders Lewander, skipper of the Nordic crew which, during the journey, will focus on selecting crew members.
"This will be our first lengthy sailing trial," Swedish skipper Lewander says. "We have more than 2500 nautical miles ahead of us, which we have to cover in 9-10 days. And we have up to five Nordic sailors who have to convince us that they should be in the crew for the Volvo Ocean Race."
They are sailing Ericsson's recently acquired boat, which has now left Sune Karlsson's boatyard at Saltsjöbaden outside Stockholm. The yacht, previously known as ABN AMRO One, won the most recent Volvo Ocean Race. Completely repainted in a new design, it is now the training boat for the Ericsson Racing Team. Ericsson's two race yachts for the next Volvo Ocean Race are being built in Kista, outside Stockholm: the first will be launched late in the fall and the second next spring.
Ericsson Racing Team's new training base on the Canary Islands will be the crews' winter home. The location has been chosen well: the Canary Islands have one of the world's best climates, with good winds and very few rainy days. This means good conditions for effective training, and few days lost to rain or lack of wind, which can affect work on technical improvements.
The base is at Puerto Calero on Lanzarote. It is the only marina in the archipelago that can provide moorings, a land base, sail loft and accommodation all within five minutes' walk. Puerto Calero is also only 10 minutes from Lanzarote airport.
Lanzarote Airport Improvements
The next 3 years will see an extension to the terminal buildings and the car parking facilities at the airport.
Plans have been approved by the authorities and 1.5 million euros has been quoted for the works.
The improvements will make an already modern airport even more passenger friendly with lots of open spaces.
JET2.COM NEWCASTLE TO LANZAROTE
Airline launches new low-cost destinations
LOW-cost airline Jet2.com has launched two new services from its base at Newcastle International Airport.
The airline, which now flies to 16 destinations from the North-East, has added services to two popular locations in the Canary Islands to the list.
The inaugural flights to Gran Canaria and Lanzarote will leave Newcastle on October 29 and November 1 respectively, in time for the beginning of the winter 2007-8 season, and tickets are now on sale, priced from £54.99 one way, including taxes.
Philip Meeson, boss of Jet2.com, said: "Our Canaries programme from Newcastle offers everything people want, flexibility and low-cost prices. There is no more need to be tied in to prescribed travel dates.
"We are proud to yet again be pushing the boundaries when it comes to offering our passengers the latest routes at the lowest possible fares.
"Gran Canaria and Lanzarote are wonderful destinations and our new services ideally suit those wanting to go a little further afield but still wanting to enjoy low-cost fares and award-winning service."
For more information, visit www.jet2.com
Manchester Airport launches new low-cost routes
Low cost airline Thomsonfly is set to launch 14 new routes from Manchester Airport this summer, adding to the airport's comprehensive direct flight services. New routes scheduled to begin in winter and continue into their debut summer season are Canary Islands Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote, as well as Marrakech, Salzburg and Paphos. Prices will be starting from as little as £19.99 each including taxes
4th April 2007
New Superliner coming to Lanzarote and the other Canary Islands in 2008.
There's an exciting new silhouette on the horizon, Come april 2008, Britains' newest superliner will emerge, ready to sail the World's oceans. Unique, imaginative and stylish,Ventura will show you just how inspiring your time away can be.
This P&O ship is longer than 3 football pitches end to end and will feature no less than 11 restaurants.
No expense has been spared on the ship which even has a private art collection valued at more than 1 million pounds on display.
Great news for Lanzarote and all the Canary islands and definitely a sight to look out for in 2008.
4th April 2007
Population ageing in the Canary Islands
ArchipielagoNoticias report a delightful story on the average age of the population in the Canary Islands, which begins, "In the last ten years, the Canarian population has aged almost three years ..." I knew the laid-back culture was good for something: less stress, slower ageing. What a shame we can't take that literally ... :)
What they are actually saying, of course, is that, the average age of the Canary Islands population, as a whole, has risen by almost 3 years in the last decade, from 34.5 years in 1996, to 37.3 years in 2006. The averages vary from island to island and from district to district, with Vallehermoso in La Gomera having the oldest average age at 47.6 years and Puerto del Rosario, in Fuerteventura, and Santa Lucía de Tirajana, in Gran Canaria have the youngest averages at 32.7 years.
The report also states that, in the last five years, the percentage of old folk, practically hasn't varied. That is to say that 12.09% of the overall Canarian population is 65 and over, up from 11.95% in 2001, which, perhaps surprisingly, is actually 4 percentage points less than the national average of 16.62%. El Hierro has the largest percentage of old folk (19.17%), while Fuerteventura has the least (5.79%).
Tenerife has an average age that is only just over the average for the Canary Islands, at 38 years, but there are enormous differences between municipalities. Granadilla de Abona has the youngest population at an average of 34.5 years, while Santiago del Teide is at the other end of the scale with an average of 44.1 years. Santiago del Teide also has the largest percentage of foreigners on the island, 49.2%.
The percentage of over 65 year olds in Tenerife, is also only a point over the average for the archipelago, but again there are differences between towns. In Adeje there are only 6.89% of oldies, whereas in Los Silos, 22.9% of the population are old folk.
(Actually, that is interesting, since Los Silos has one of the youngest councils. The mayor was only in his early 20's when he was voted in and, I believe, holds the record for the youngest ever mayor in Spain. There was quite a funny story in one of the newspapers, actually, about the first time they turned up for a meeting in Santa Cruz and nobody believed that the "youths in jeans" were the elected councillors.)
Taken from www.secret-tenerife.com
Tuesday 30th January 2007
Spain continues up, up, up...
MADRID, Spain - Cranes, bulldozers and other heavy machinery clog nearly every road leading into Madrid, signs of the extraordinary transformation that has turned this once-poor nation into an economic power.
But for Spain, one of the sweetest steps is yet to come.
Three decades after the death of dictator Francisco Franco brought it in from the political and economic wilderness, Spain is on the verge of surpassing Italy in per capita income. It's a development that has been the talk of both countries, particularly Italy, which long has looked on Spain as its permanently poorer cousin.
The signs of Spain's success are everywhere: in the gleaming folds of the capital's ultramodern new airport, in the international reach of architects such as Santiago Calatrava and Rafael Moneo, in its buzzing nightlife and cultural scene and, most notably, in record economic growth and lowest-in-a-generation unemployment.
"It's a good time to be a Spaniard," said Jose Manuel Campa, a professor of economics and finance at IESE Business School in Madrid. "Spain has always had exceptional people, but there was this perception that they made it despite being Spaniards. But now there is a sense, especially among the younger generation, that the world is theirs."
Take a look up, down, left or right on many streets in Madrid, and you'll experience the earsplitting sound of progress. In fact, there are so many improvements going on that many people complain the city feels like a giant construction site.
The crowning jewel has undoubtedly been the $7.2 billion upgrade of Madrid's Barajas airport, with a shiny new terminal that features an undulating ceiling and driverless trains that take commuters to their terminal.
But the boom is by no means limited to the capital. Nationally, gross domestic product grew 3.5 percent in 2005 and the government expects to tally growth of at least 3.4 percent for 2006.
Unemployment, at about 8 percent, is at its lowest in 27 years, down from more than 20 percent in the early 1990s. House prices have more than tripled the past 10 years, the Spanish Central Bank says, outpacing even the red hot U.S. market over that span. And prices are still rising.
Madre mia! How did this happen?
A big part of the answer is the European Union. Over the past decade, Spain has benefited from an unprecedented rise in construction investment and private consumption, fueled in no small part by interest rates set by the European Central Bank. The rates have been low, and inflation in this fast-moving economy relatively high, so it has become virtually free to borrow money here.
At the same time, Spain has been one of the largest recipients of EU structural economic aid - nearly $85 billion since 2000.
Since Franco's death, Spain has had a succession of stable governments - both from the left and the right - that have implemented responsible, business-friendly economic policies. They have liberalized labor laws to make it easier to hire and fire people and privatized state-owned giants such as Telefonica, Gas Natural and Iberia Airlines.
At the same time, the country's current prime minister, 46-year-old Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, has shaken up the nation's Roman Catholic traditions by legalizing gay marriage and making it easier to divorce or have an abortion.
Meanwhile, Italy - led by aging politicians - has fallen into economic doldrums. Growth is near zero and its budget deficit has exceeded 3 percent of GDP every year since 2002, in violation of EU rules.
The government formed by Premier Romano Prodi last spring has been so hamstrung by its coalition partners, which include former communist parties with deep union ties, that structural reforms haven't been seriously tackled.
The previous center-right government of Silvio Berlusconi disappointed those who thought he would apply his business acumen to solving Italy's economic problems. Berlusconi's critics accused him of instead pushing through laws designed to protect his own business interests.
According to EU figures, Spain's per capita GDP is 98.2 percent of the bloc's average, while Italy's stands at 100.5 percent. Spanish economists and politicians say Spain will overtake Italy by 2009, and possibly sooner.
In recent years, some 4 million jobseekers from South America, eastern Europe and Africa have poured in, providing much-needed cheap labor as Spaniards eagerly has embraced modernization after decades of stagnation under Franco.
Spanish companies have extended their reach beyond the border. In 2006, Grupo Ferrovial led a group of investors in the $19.5 billion acquisition of Britain's BAA, the world's largest airport operator. Late in the year, Iberdrola SA offered $22.5 billion in a bid to acquire Scottish Power PLC.
Spain recently passed Canada as the world's eighth-largest economy, according to the World Bank, a fact that many feel should merit a place at the Group of Eight club of the world's leading industrial powers.
Monday 29th January 2007
New Holiday Routes to Spain
HOLIDAY giant Thomas Cook is the latest airline to reveal new routes from Prestwick Airport.
The company announced this week that they will lay on charter flights to Majorca, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Tenerife during the October holiday.
The move was welcomed by airport chief executive Mark Rodwell, who insists that it could mean an extra 1000 passengers for Prestwick.
He said: "We look forward to welcoming Thomas Cook and we are confident they will be impressed with the high quality of service we provide to our passengers and partners. These flights coincide with one of the last opportunities of the summer season for many Scottish families to fly abroad in search of sunshine, and we believe they will be a great success."
Ian Smith, director of operations for Thomas Cook, said: "We are very much looking forward to working with Prestwick."
Thursday 4th January 2007
Britons Continue to favour Spain
Britons invested £12 billion in Spanish property in 2004/05 and this is predicted to reach £21 billion by 2009. With 75,000 properties purchased, at an average price of £160,000, it also claims that one in three want to retire to Spain.
“It seems that we know a lot about how many people are buying in Spain and the level of investment but relatively little about who is purchasing these properties, what they are looking for and why,” said Kyero.
Based on a survey of 400 people, it found that the average person seeking a property in Spain is male and aged between 41 and 60 years old. “The majority of people want to join the other 200,000 Britons and permanently relocate,” it said, “with 26% viewing Spain as the ideal retirement destination due to the warmer climate, sociable atmosphere and reduced taxes. Even with a wider choice than ever of countries in which to purchase it seems that once people decide on Spain they rarely look elsewhere. It’s not just Brits who are interested in Spain, however, with enquiries being received from the USA, Canada, Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, India, Japan and Portugal.”
The survey also found that 73% were looking for existing or resale properties with new build coming in second at only 32%. The most sought after properties are studio apartments with 2 or 3 bedroom villas coming in a close second. Preference did vary by province, however, with 3 bedroom apartments top in Alicante compared to 3 bedroom villas in Girona or 1 bedroom apartments with swimming pool in Gran Canaria. The majority of budgets stretched from €150,000 to €200,000 (although, according to Kyero’s own Spanish Property Price Guide, the national average property price is currently €250,000).
Location was important to 97% of respondents, with the provinces of Alicante, Granada and Malaga the most highly sought after. However, the most important factors when considering the location of a property are accessibility to shops, a hospital, bar, restaurant, pharmacy, bank, post office, public transport, police station and airport. Nearby amenities including schools, golf courses, marinas, water sports, clubs/discos and churches were viewed as less important.
While accessibility to an airport was identified as an important factor, 40% of people measured distances within the country by driving time.
The majority of those taking part in the survey were within the first stages of property finding and the most popular concerns about buying were the price of property, any additional costs involved, legal aspects and getting the right location. Kyero also found that 71% were using the Internet as an information resource, followed by 60% who had visited the area and 32% from magazine articles.
Friday 22nd December2006
Lanzarote still tops with passengers from Dublin
Over a million passengers will travel through Dublin airport over the Christmas season up until January 5S the airport authority has said.
The volume of passengers travelling this Christmas season is up 10 per cent over the same period last year," a spokeswoman for the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) said. This Friday, December 22nd, will be the busiest day before Christmas with over 83,000 passengers travelling, while January 5th will be the busiest day after Christmas with more than 80,000 passengers expected to travel, the DAA said. More than 250 charter flights have been added to the schedule during the holiday season as many people head off to winter sun and ski destinations. DAA said Lanzarote and Las Palmas are the most popular sun destinations while Salzburg and Innsbruck are the most popular ski resorts. The airport terminal building has been decorated as usual to create a "special atmosphere" and to provide a Céad Míle Fáilte to the many people coming home for the Christmas holidays, the spokeswoman said. She urged passengers to familiarise themselves with the new EU aviation security regulations regarding liquids before travelling. These are available in detail on www.dublinairport.com. Travellers are also asked not to wrap Christmas presents as they may be required to open them by airport security officials. Passengers should pack any sharp objects in their check-in luggage.
"Finally, passengers travelling this Christmas season are also advised to allow themselves extra time to get to the airport in the event of road congestion to ensure they comply with check-in and airport security regulations," the DAA spokeswoman added.
Saturday 1st December2006
Numbers, numbers, numbers….
The growth in the Canary Islands' population since the first modern census in the history of the archipelago, the Census of Aranda in 1768, the first which counted all of the members of the population and not just heads of families.
At the time of that 1768 census, there were 155,763 people living in the Canary Islands. By 1797, the number had risen to 173,865. At the beginning of the 20th Century, in 1900, it was 364,408, which has risen to almost two million today.
An interesting piece of side information we can derive from this, is that with 283,931 "outsiders" (142,375 from other parts of Spain and 141,556 foreigners) living in the islands in 2001, the remaining population growth of 1.3 million over the last century must be due to the expansion of the "native population" itself and, firmly refutes the widely held belief that immigration alone is responsible for the explosion.
Tenerife and Gran Canaria have always been the most populated islands of the archipelago, with Gran Canaria occupying first place between 1940 and 2001.
Historically, La Palma had been the third most populated island and, had remained so until as recently as 1998, when Lanzarote took over that position.
The most populated city, since 1768, has been Las Palmas in Gran Canaria, except in 1910, when Santa Cruz in Tenerife took over the title briefly. The second most inhabited city was La Laguna, in Tenerife, back in 1768, Telde in Gran Canaria from 1787 to 1842 and Santa Cruz in Tenerife from 1857, until the present day.
Santa Cruz' population, back in 1768, had numbered a mere 7,399. By 2005, it had multiplied almost thirty times to 221,567. The population of Arona, in the south of Tenerife, has multiplied by almost 38, from 1,516 in 1768, to 57,445 in 2005.
Whereas, in more rural areas, such as in the municipality of Buenavista del Norte, which had begun with 1,376 inhabitants in the 18th Century, had merely quadrupled its numbers to it's highest point of 5,664 in 1996. Since then, the population has actually been slowly dropping, to 5,300 in 2005. In some rural districts on the island of La Gomera too, the population has only doubled in those 250 years.
Despite the population growth, the number of homes only multiplied by 9.6 in the 233 years, from 57,218 in 1768 to 552,497 in 2001. The average size of family has dropped from 4.2 in 1842, after reaching a peak of 4.8 in 1920, to 3.1 in 2001.
Tuesday 14th November 2006
Diligence crew pluck refugees from ocean
A NAVY repair ship came to the rescue of 23 people found drifting in a dangerously overcrowded boat in the Atlantic Ocean.
Sailors in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Diligence were stunned when they spotted the tiny wooden craft 50 miles off Lanzarote.
At first the RFA crew thought they'd stumbled across a lifeboat from a sunken ship, but it soon became clear that the stricken seafarers were probably economic migrants from north Africa trying to reach the Canary Islands.
Although the sea was calm, the 20ft boat would have been in serious trouble if weather conditions had worsened.
Having taking part in wargames off the coast of west Africa, RFA Diligence was north of Lanzarote and heading towards Casablanca when a lookoout spotted the small boat five miles away.
The alarm was raised and a Spanish search and rescue vessel arrived to pick up the refugees.
Phil Hanton, the auxiliary's captain, said: 'Once again RFA Diligence was the right ship, at the right place, at the right time and I am very proud of my conscientious crew.
'Their skills as alert, highly professional seamen have now almost certainly saved 25 lives in as many days.'
It was Diligence's second rescue in recent weeks. Last month the 10,765 ton ship plucked two fishermen from the water in the Gibraltar Strait.
Their boat had capsized and sunk, leaving the two men swimming without flotation aids. An engineer officer heard their shouts.
Thursday 19th October 2006
Lanzarote Property for Rent
If you are looking to rent a property in Lanzarote from a studio apartment to a luxury villa: from beachside to rural setting then this new service from My Home In Lanzarote will be perfect for you.
Due to launch soon the rentals division will cover all aspects of renting in Lanzarote.
Watch this space for further details.
Thursday 5th October 2006
Canary Islands and back for the price of a coffee
For the price of a coffee in a bar, low-cost airlines are set to change the type of tourist who arrives in the islands, at the same time opening up possibilities for residents to visit many points of Europe that, until recently, were unimaginable.
This is all down to the business model of the low-cost airlines who sell direct to the passenger. Sales are not made in the traditional travel agent, but via the internet. Customers pay with credit cards and, without even having to leave the house.
Ryanair is the name we've heard most in the last few weeks, having confirmed that they will operate from Tenerife and Fuerteventura, but they're not the only company who offer international flights for less than what it costs to travel between islands.
Making a simple search at the time he wrote the article, Bernardo found a fare with British airline, Monarch, between Tenerife and London for 49 euros.
Scottish airline, Globespan, flies between the Canary Islands and various points in the United Kingdom, such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool and London. At their website, he found that there were flights from Fuerteventura to Glasgow for November 7th, for 72 euros. From Tenerife, the price dropped to 60 euros.
English company, Jet2.com operates in Lanzarote and Tenerife, uniting those islands with Leeds, Manchester, Blackpool and Newcastle, as well as the capital of Northern Ireland, Belfast, always with direct flights. A ticket from Lanzarote to Leeds at the beginning of November was selling for 59 euros and, between Tenerife and Belfast, in the middle of November, 89 euros.
From Gerona to the rest of Europe
Irish airline, Ryanair, the leader in low-cost airlines, announced last week that they would fly from the Canary Islands to Ireland for just 2.99 euros.
Sagastume says that this is possible, however, to get that tariff, it is necessary to book at least five months in advance.
Without having to wait that long and only spending a few more coins, it is possible to obtain a ticket between Tenerife and Dublin for December 13th, for 14.99 euros. Around the same date, you can obtain the same price from Fuerteventura to the capital of the Irish Republic on a flight that takes a little over four hours.
Where Ryanair promises to revolutionize the market even more, is in domestic flights. From March, they will unite the Canary Islands with Cataluña for a price similar to that of a small coffee and a roll. On March 14, for example, there is a flight between Tenerife and Gerona for 2.99 euros. Once in the catalán airport, one can catch a plane for 3.99 euros and in two hours, land at Rome, or for 2.99 that bound for Charleroi, in Belgium, close to Brussels.
From Fuerteventura, the offer is similar, with flights to Gerona for 2.99 euros on March 20th. From there, you can take advantage of a ticket to Marrakesh, for the same price, and, two hours later, be shopping in the souks.
Saturday 4th August 2006
Land For Sale in Lanzarote
Land For Sale in Lanzarote. For a full list of areas, plot sizes, classifications and prices ... Click Here
Friday 4th August 2006
Capital Gains Tax slashed for non-residents
The Spanish Government have proposed to slash Capital Gains Tax liabilities for non-resident property sellers in the 2007 budget.
Whilst nothing is yet confirmed, the general feeling is that the proposals will go ahead.
Spain was in the dock recently for having different liability levels for residents and non-residents of 15% and 35% CGT respectively.
However, it is proposed to level the field in the 2007 budget so that all sellers, resident or not, pay 18%.
This is superb news for non-resident property owners and should renew any waning interest in Spanish proprety markets.
On the other hand, resident owners find their CGT liability increased by 3%. However, there are certain exemptions and correction factors which residents can apply in order to reduce this amount.
If, as expected, this proposal becomes into force on January 1st, 2007 non-residents can rejoice and prospective investors can look with renewed interest at the Spanish markets.
Wednesday 24th July 2006
INCREASED TOURIST FIGURES FOR JUNE
The tourist industry organization ASOLAN has reported that the overall percentage for occupation of tourist accommodation was 70.9% during the month of June. This represents a 2.6% increase on the figures for the same period of 2005.
ApartHotels recoreded the highest occupancy with 76.9%, and 4 star hotels were next with 76.7%.
Demand for privately owned rental property is still strong – but hard to place occupation figures on as ASOLAN do not cover this area of the market.
Wednesday 26th June 2006
Costa Teguise Super-X World Cup
Windsurfers Descend on Lanzarote Today
by Windsurfers Descend on Lanzarote TodayPWA World Tour
Lanzarote - For the 3rd consecutive year, the worlds best Men and Women Super-X racers will descend on Lanzarote’s Costa Teguise, and stake their claims for the 2006 PWA Super-X world titles.
2 Times world champion Matt Pritchard (US-10 Tabou /Gaastra), his brother and current tour leader, Kevin Pritchard (US-3 Starboard /MauiSails), and many more, will arrive fresh from last weeks action packed Costa Brava Super-X event. The game is wide open, with the closely matched main players aiming to settle their scores, and decide who’ll walk away with the 2006 crown.
They’ll be joined by women’s world champion Karin Jaggi (Z-14, F2 /North Sails), 2005 runner-up Junko Nagoshi (F2 /Simmer Sails), and the outrageously talented, wave-destroying twin-sisters, Daida Moreno (E-64, Mistral /North Sails) and Iballa Moreno (E-63, Mistral /North Sails).
Super-X is the PWA’s dynamic obstacle race format. Full speed slalom-style racing, with inflatable jumps guarantee the spectator gnarly crashes. Added mandatory freestyle tricks, ensure the lead changes constantly between world’s best windsurfers, capable of advanced freestyle and racing skills.
In previous seasons, conditions at Costa Teguise have ranged from mast high surf and 45-knot winds, to seasonal Canarian breezes and flatter seas. But with the PWA’s exclusive Super-X discipline, thrills and spills are standard, no matter what the elements throw up.
With a Euro 45,000 purse on offer, there’ll be no prisoners taken as the action kicks off from June 26th through July 2nd.
A trip to witness this spectacle is a must. Featuring a natural viewing area and grandstand on the beach, the Las Cucharas point also provides plenty of space for tourist sailors to sail, whilst accommodating the dedicated PWA arena. Even if the surf kicks in big-time, there are plenty of flat areas well away from the gnarly reefs. If you can’t book a flight to Arrecife to combine watching and sailing, then follow every race at www.pwaworldtour.com. Here there’ll be up to the minute results, daily write ups, news, action clips and more.
For more information, please contact the PWA office at info@pwaworldtour.com
Monday 12 th June 2006
Aer Lingus To Fly Five New Routes
Aer Lingus has announced the introduction five new routes from Dublin and Cork to mainland Europe in its winter schedule
New services commencing from October will include flights from Dublin to Turin and Newcastle and three new services from Cork to Madrid, Lanzarote and Prague. Existing summer flights from Dublin to Poznan and Seville and from Cork to Berlin, Birmingham, Faro and Tenerife will now operate as year-round services.
Aer Lingus said the expansion brings to 11 the number of new routes introduced in 2006. As part of the expansion, the airline will operate an additional 34 flights a week, on existing and newly introduced routes, from Dublin and Cork.
Chief executive Dermot Mannion said: "Additional capacity and the extension of year round services on a number of existing Europeans routes is in direct response to strong customer demand. We are very encouraged with the level of growth on our network and particularly in the southern region where demand has increased significantly. This development is testament to the fact that Aer Lingus' service is second to none and we will continue to deliver on our proposition of low fares and greater choice of new destinations to convenient city airports for our customers".
Wednesday 7th June 2006
Rover and out - our dog's on the runway
A couple waiting for their plane to take off were astonished to see their dog bounding alongside the aircraft.
Terry and Susan Smith, who were flying from Manchester to begin a new life in Lanzarote, had last seen Poppy, their spaniel, being taken to the hold of their Boeing 767.
The pilot was about to taxi towards the runway when the animal was spotted alongside the aircraft.
Four airport vehicles were used to pen the dog into a corner so that she could be recaptured. Other passengers were delayed for 15 minutes before the plane was cleared to take off.
Poppy is believed to have bitten her way to freedom after being put into the hold with Pelayo, the Smiths' collie.
Mr Smith, 58, a retired lorry driver from Blackburn, said: "We couldn't believe our eyes. We obviously had to get off the plane and it took us 10 minutes to catch her. She was terrified by all the noise and would not let anyone get near her.
"We ended up having to re-book a flight, but we're just glad she is safe. I don't know what would have happened if we hadn't caught her."
Poppy spent the night in quarantine before flying out to her new home in Tias.
Wednesday 7th June 2006
Lanzarote has the lowest unemployment in the Canaries
According to some statistics released by the Canary Islands Institute of Statistics, Lanzarote has the lowest unemployment in the Canary Islands with a rate of just 4%. This is considerably lower than the rate in Gran Canaria which stands at 11%.
Other statistics released show that Lanzarote has the second highest average salaries in the Canary Islands with an average of 1105 Euro per month.
The population continues to grow with a rate of 5.4 percent recorded in 2005, the proportion of non-Spanish Residents stands at 22.5%.
Source: http://www.lanzarotenews.net
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