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New winter route connects Denmark’s Billund Airport to Gran Canaria

A new route operated by airBaltic will offer two weekly departures from Central Jutland airport Billund to warmer conditions on Spanish island Gran Canaria.

Published: 4 December 2023 17:03 CET
Updated: 5 December 2023 09:45 CET

New winter route connects Denmark’s Billund Airport to Gran Canaria

An airBaltic aircraft at Billund Airport on December 1st. Photo: airBaltic

The direct service was launched on December 1st and makes it easier for tourists from Denmark to get to “one of their favourite winter destinations”, airBaltic said in a press statement.

Previously, airBaltic’s sole service out of Billund has been to its hub, Latvian capital Riga.

The decision to offer a new route is designed to meet increasing demand for services to winter holiday destinations, airBaltic CEO Martin Gauss said in the statement.

READ ALSO: Denmark’s Billund Airport reopens direct route to Brussels

“With this strategic expansion, we hope to meet the growing demand for sunny and leisure destinations, as well as to increase the connections airBaltic provides in Northern Europe and offer a wider range of travel options for local travellers,” Gauss said.

The Canary Island, which is located off northwest Africa, is a popular spot for wintering Danes with a Facebook group, “Danskere på Gran Canaria” (Danes in Gran Canaria), numbering 8,000 members according to the press release.

The service will operate twice weekly from December until March 29th next year. Flights will leave Billund at 2:45pm on Mondays and Fridays, returning from Gran Canaria at 7:40am on the same days.

In April, the airline will switch to a single weekly scheduled flight between the two airports, it said in the statement. That service will depart on Thursdays.

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What to know if you’re driving from Denmark to Germany this summer

People driving through Germany – not least motorists from Denmark – are likely to experience more traffic and queuing than usual this July.

That is partly a result of additional measures in place during the Euro 2024 football tournament, including border controls.

Passports will be required for travel from Denmark to Germany for the duration of the European football championships, which take place in Germany between June 14th and July 14th, German authorities have previously said. The border controls — which also affect Germany’s other borders — will be in effect until July 19th.

Diversions are in place at some of the Danish road crossings, notably Frøslev, where signage has been set up to redirect drivers.

READ ALSO: Germany to check passports on Danish border during Euros

The border controls are not the only factor affecting traffic, with traffic around host cities for the tournament also heavier.

German motorists’ organisation ADAC recently published a traffic forecast for the summer.

“We expect a high level of traffic density and resulting queues this summer. Traffic has generally increased in recent years, and there is still a lot of road work. That combination inevitably leads to queues,” ADAC spokesperson Katharina Lucà said in a press release produced by Danish energy company OK.

Motorists should be prepared for tailbacks at most of the typically busy hubs, according to ADAC. These include Bremen, Dortmund and Cologne in western Germany. On the A7 Autobahn through the centre of the country – used by many Danes travelling south on holiday and north returning home – congestion is expected at Hamburg, Hanover, Frankfurt and Würzburg.

People driving from Zealand in Denmark are more likely to use the A9 Autobahn, which has better prospects with only the Nuremberg – Munich road likely to see delays.

READ ALSO: Here’s what you need to know about travel in Denmark in the summer of 2024

The map below shows where the congestion is expected.

Graphic: ADAC

ADAC also advises drivers to avoid busy sections on the days when Germany begins its own summer holidays. That includes the weekend of July 12th to 14th in several federal states, when ADAC says queues of up to four hours could occur at the hubs mentioned above.

“It will take a long time to drive through Germany during the day this summer, so allow plenty of time for the journey and take breaks every two hours, especially if there are small children in the car,” Lucà said to OK.

“We also recommend that you don’t drive excessive distances without stopping, so plan an overnight stay if possible,” she added.

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