Skip to menuSkip to main contentSkip to footer

Main content:

Cleared for take-off!

It all began on the morning of 26 March 1989, when Binter - at that time BinterCanarias - a regional aviation company belonging to Iberia, began operations to link the islands of the Canary archipelago by air.

The first flight, NT 104, took off from Tenerife North Airport at 8:00 a.m. and headed for Gran Canaria, soaring above the northern coast of Tenerife once it had made its way over the Anaga mountains. Cabin crew member Mercedes Bragado Luis and captains Ricardo Génova and Alfonso García Bach had the privilege of welcoming the 40 passengers on this maiden flight.

Manufactured by Spanish firm Construcciones Aeronáuticas, the Casa CN 235 was the first ever Binter-operated aircraft, with 36 daily scheduled flights covering the islands of Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, La Palma and Tenerife during the initial months.

In January 1990, the first ATR 72 unit joined the fleet, soon becoming the company's flagship.

Ever since, the Spanish airline has become the benchmark in the transportation sector in the Canary Islands, playing also a prominent role on the European stage (seven ERA awards). By offering its customers a high quality service and being actively involved in the community, Binter shows its desire to stay true to its commitment to the Canarian archipelago.

1989

On 26 March 1989, Binter commenced operations in the Archipelago.

Family photo in front of an ATR on the runway
Old photograph of a Binter aircraft taxiing

1999

In 1999 Binter's fleet consisted of eleven aircrafts, capable of running all flights being operated by the company at the time.

2002

2002 was the turning point in the history of the airline – an Iberia subsidiary until then – as a group of Canarian investors acquired the company.
Lower part of a Binter ATR flying as seen from the ground
Jet with coloured fuselage taking off

2005

2005 marked the beginning of the international expansion, with the addition of direct flights to new key destinations such as Marrakech, El Aaiún and Madeira.

2009

In 2009 the company experienced a deep restructuring to increase efficiency and improve its services.

ATR-72 500 on the taxiway
Rear view of an aircraft while loading cargo

2012

By 2012 Binter was in possesion of one of the largest ATR fleets in Europe –unparalleled in the Canary Islands–, which comprised 18 aircraft. The airline also made new progress in terms of its global expansion strategy with the introduction of new routes to Agadir, Casablanca, Cape Verde and Lisbon.

2013

In 2013 Binter inaugurated its new head office in Tenerife and also announced two new destinations in Africa: Banjul and Dakar.

Façade of the Binter Headquarters in Tenerife Norte
Side view of several seats inside the passenger cabin of an ATR-72 600

2014

In 2014, Binter started connecting by air the Canary Islands with the Sal Island and Nouakchott. Besides, this year the company celebrated its 25th anniversary.

2015

In 2015 the airline acquired 18 new ATR 72 aircraft as part of a fleet upgrade. Since the takeover by a group of Canarian entrepreneurs, a total 700 million euro have been invested in fleet modernization plans.

View of the flight deck and its digital controls
Aerial plan of an island of Caboverde, landscape with volcanoes and clouds

2016

In 2016, Binter interconnected all airports in the Cape Verde archipelago.

2017

In 2017, three Bombardier CRJ1000 jets joined the Binter fleet. In addition, a new destination in West Africa – Dakhla – was added to the airline's scheduled service.

Front view of an ATR 600 model with Binter colours
CRJ model with Binter colours flying and seen from the ground

2018

In 2018, Binter took a new step forward in its business model by flying to two national destinations outside the Canary Islands on a regular basis: Majorca and Vigo. It also began operating inter-island routes across the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira.

2019

2019 marked the company's 30th anniversary, and national connectivity was enhanced with the addition of three new destinations: Pamplona, Zaragoza and Murcia. On the same year, Binter received three E195-E2 aircraft from manufacturer Embraer and new uniforms were introduced for customer-facing staff within the airline's system.

Front view of the new Embraer model of Binter
Image of the flight deck of an Embraer aircraft

2020

In 2020 Binter added four new national destinations to its schedule, Santander, Vitoria, Jerez and Asturias.

2021

In 2021 the airline will start operations to France and Italy with regular flights to Toulouse, Marseille, Lille, Turin and Venice. The domestic schedule also grows, with the incorporation of connections to A Coruña and San Sebastián.

Front view of the nose of an Embraer aircraft in parking
2022-img-alt

2022

In 2022, the offer of domestic and international routes continued to grow, with flights to Valladolid, Menorca, Florence, Ponta Delgada, Guelmim and Fez, and the summer schedule with Madeira was reinforced to connect it with Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Tenerife South and Marrakech. The company ended the year with the announcement of the purchase of five new Embraer aircraft.

2023

The airline begins flying to Granada, Ibiza and Ponta Delgada and announces that it Will open its first base outside the archipelago in 2024, with 16 daily flights between Madrid and the Canary Islands. The company orders six more Embraer E195-E2 aircraft.

2023-img-alt