Strong gusts and sharply reduced visibility made it difficult for pilots to meet the required safety standards for landing at La Palma on Sunday, 8 November. Aena confirmed that seven flights scheduled to land on the island were diverted during Storm Bruna. Operational information supplied by Aena at 14:45 recorded the affected arrivals.
The alternatives were Tenerife South and Gran Canaria. Four aircraft were sent to Tenerife South and three to Gran Canaria. One flight from Tenerife South and two from Gran Canaria returned to their departure airports.
A service from Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas was also redirected to Tenerife South. Flights from Munich and Zurich went to Tenerife South, while a service from Hamburg was diverted to Gran Canaria. The seven affected connections included inter-island and mainland Spanish services, as well as international routes.
Forecasts published on 7 November had warned of strengthening winds on Sunday, with gusts of up to 90 km/h expected in exposed mountain areas and parts of La Palma’s eastern coast. During Bruna’s passage, El Día reported a wind reading of 109 km/h at Roque de los Muchachos. Agencia EFE also reported a 128.31 km/h gust associated with the storm on La Palma.
Elsewhere in the archipelago, El Hierro's council has sought extra staff and coordinated transfers after more than 8,000 migrant arrivals in five weeks, according to coverage of the council's response.
Passengers were advised to check their flight status with their airlines while adverse weather affected the western islands.
