How late was the flight?

According to RTVC, the aircraft departed almost 24 hours late: the departure was scheduled for Sunday but took place only on Monday morning.

Was the runway closed?

Yes. According to RTVC, the Los Rodeos runway was left inoperative for just over eleven minutes as a precaution.

Were there any injuries?

No injuries were mentioned in the report. RTVC stresses that the safety protocol worked and the pilot's reaction was correct.

How many passengers were affected?

The exact number of passengers is not stated in the report.

TENERIFE · AVIATION

Plus Ultra flight from Tenerife to Venezuela delayed almost 24 hours

A Plus Ultra flight from Tenerife Norte airport, also known as Los Rodeos, to the city of Valencia in Venezuela took off almost 24 hours late, according to the public broadcaster RTVC. The aircraft was due to depart on Sunday but remained on the ground because of a technical problem and finally left on Monday morning.

25 August 2026 · By Julia Roca Bethencourt · 4 min

Passenger aircraft at the airport (illustrative)

Photo: Aron Szegedi, CC0 (Symbolbild).

According to RTVC's report of 24 August 2026, the airport's safety procedures worked and the runway was closed only briefly. No injuries were mentioned. Importantly, one key technical detail comes from a passenger's account and is not an official diagnosis.

What happened

According to RTVC, the Plus Ultra flight from Tenerife Norte to Valencia (Venezuela) was scheduled to depart on Sunday. Because of a technical problem with the aircraft, however, the departure did not go ahead. The plane only took off on Monday morning, almost 24 hours behind schedule.

The broadcaster reports that attempts to repair the affected Airbus on Sunday were not successful. The flight could only be operated the following day once the problem had been dealt with.

The reported technical problem

A passenger quoted by RTVC said the airline had told passengers that the aircraft "could not regulate speed precisely". According to that account, this led to a braking problem and, as a result, overheated brakes.

This description reflects what a passenger reported the airline as saying. Beyond the RTVC report, no official technical statement from the airline or the airport has been confirmed. The detail should therefore be read strictly as a passenger's account, not as an established fact.

Eleven minutes of runway closure

As a precaution, the runway at Los Rodeos was left inoperative for just over eleven minutes, according to RTVC. After that, airport operations reportedly returned to normal.

RTVC stresses that the airport's safety protocol worked and that the pilot's reaction was correct. The short closure therefore served as a safety measure while the situation was assessed.

The resolution on Monday

After Sunday's repair attempts had failed, the aircraft was finally able to depart on Monday morning, according to RTVC. The flight to Valencia in Venezuela thus went ahead about a day later than planned.

The report does not give detailed information on the care provided to the waiting passengers, such as meals or overnight accommodation. What is known is only that the flight took place the next day.

What remains unconfirmed

Several points are open. The exact number of passengers affected is not stated in the report. Nor has an official, technically robust cause been confirmed; the details about speed and brakes rest on a passenger's account.

Beyond RTVC's reporting, there is no confirmed technical statement from the airline or the airport. All the detailed figures should therefore be read with that caveat in mind.

Note for affected passengers: During long delays, travellers in the EU may, depending on the circumstances, be entitled to care such as meals, communication and, where relevant, overnight accommodation. Keep your boarding pass, booking confirmation and all receipts, and ask for written confirmation of the delay where possible.
Whether and to what extent any further claims apply depends on the individual case; contact the airline directly about this.

Context: The details about "speed that could not be regulated precisely", a braking problem and overheated brakes come from the account of a passenger quoted by RTVC, relaying what the airline is said to have stated.
This is not an officially confirmed technical diagnosis from the airline or the airport.

Key facts

Route: Tenerife Norte / Los Rodeos to Valencia (Venezuela), operated by Plus Ultra (per RTVC, 24 August 2026)
Delay: almost 24 hours; scheduled Sunday departure, actual departure on Monday morning (per RTVC)
Los Rodeos runway: left inoperative for just over 11 minutes as a precaution (per RTVC)
RTVC: safety protocol worked, pilot's reaction correct, Sunday repair attempts unsuccessful
Technical detail (speed/brakes/overheating): a passenger's account of what the airline said, not officially confirmed
No injuries mentioned; exact passenger count not stated

FAQ

How late was the flight?: According to RTVC, the aircraft departed almost 24 hours late: the departure was scheduled for Sunday but took place only on Monday morning.
What caused it?: A technical problem. A passenger quoted by RTVC said the airline had spoken of speed that could not be regulated precisely, a braking problem and overheated brakes. No official diagnosis has been confirmed.
Was the runway closed?: Yes. According to RTVC, the Los Rodeos runway was left inoperative for just over eleven minutes as a precaution.
Were there any injuries?: No injuries were mentioned in the report. RTVC stresses that the safety protocol worked and the pilot's reaction was correct.
How many passengers were affected?: The exact number of passengers is not stated in the report.

Read on

CITA News on WhatsAppFollow the channel and keep up with the islands.Follow