What awaits arrivals at the taxi rank?
Taxi drivers from Telde report long queues at the new rank at Gran Canaria airport. According to Rafael Santana, president of the Cooperativa de Taxis de Telde, the walk from the terminal has become longer.
Santana says passengers must cross three traffic lanes to reach the taxis. With suitcases that is no stroll, and some of those waiting stand on zebra crossings and on the carriageway that buses also use.
Santana says the problems get worse from midday, when more international flights arrive. If you land in the afternoon, it is wise to allow extra time to reach a taxi.
There is no statement yet from Aena (the airport operator), the Cabildo (island government) or the Canary Islands government. The exact sites of the old and new ranks have not been published anywhere, so anyone who needs to know should ask Aena.
What happened at the zebra crossing on 31 October?
On Saturday 31 October 2026, a bus reportedly bumped a tourist with its rear, according to Santana. The woman was standing next to a zebra crossing.
A video from the taxi trade is said to show the incident, and a newspaper says it has seen it. The report names no injuries, and neither the police nor Aena has commented on the incident.
That same Saturday, board members of the cooperative went to the airport. They helped organise the queues and get passengers into taxis faster.
Why do the taxi drivers blame the new traffic layout?
Santana says Aena wants to monitor closely how many taxis enter and leave the airport grounds. “They are fully within their rights,” he says, “but it hurts us.”
The taxi trade says it is tighter for drivers too. They must cross three lanes to reach the exit road and, in Santana’s words, sometimes drive against the flow.
Santana says a lack of taxis is not the cause. Traffic on that stretch simply moves slowly, and that slows the loading.
Santana also sees that even foreign tourists now prefer the guagua (the regular bus). Those who do take a taxi complain about the organisation on the way, he says.
Santana says the changes came in peak season, when more passengers arrive anyway. Aena reported 15,826,553 passengers at Gran Canaria airport for 2025, 4% more than in 2024.
Who may pick up passengers at the airport, and what does the ride cost?
According to reports from August 2026, only taxi drivers from Telde and Ingenio may pick up passengers at the airport. Taxis from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria are excluded, which is why the Telde cooperative is complaining.
A new control barrier for pre-booked taxis (taxis precontratados) was not yet running on 15 September 2026. It reads a sticker before vehicles enter the grounds, but it is not confirmed whether it now works or has anything to do with the move.
The Canary Islands government proposes a price cap of 40 euros by day and 45 euros at night and on public holidays for rides from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to the airport. That is only a proposal, and Gorky Bethencourt of the taxi association Asprotac points out that other routes, such as to Playa del Inglés, have no such cap.
Our research found no official fares for the ride to the south. Prices online come from commercial providers and differ from one another.
What happens next with the taxi rank?
The cooperative has sent its complaints to Aena, to the authorities involved and to the company that coordinates the loading. Santana says there is no solution yet.
The taxi drivers want a safe waiting area, faster loading and a new traffic layout. “If possible, we ask for a return to the former rank,” says Santana.
Still unknown are the exact location of the old and new ranks, the date of the move and who decided it. The report also gave neither the name of the coordinating company nor a date for a decision.
The dispute over airport taxis is not new. In November 2023, users complained of waits of hours at Canary Islands airports, and drivers asked the Cabildo to lift a limit of 20 transfers a month.