Sunday, December 22, 2024

Can I fly to Majorca? Travel advice for Spanish holidaymakers after flooding chaos brought Palma airport to a standstill and your rights explained

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  • Here is everything you need to know on current travel advice for Majorca 

Palma Airport was brought to a standstill on Tuesday night by a massive rain storm that has flooded the island of Majorca.

Airport officials said that 100 of the ‘more than 900 flights’ scheduled to operate at Palma airport on Tuesday evening had been affected by the storm. 

This included many from British travel hubs like Gatwick, Luton and Bristol, after Palma had been affected by the storm.

So, is it safe to fly to Majorca? What is the latest travel advice and what can you do if your flight is cancelled? 

Read on below for everything you need to know about the latest advice for the popular Spanish tourist destination.  

Palma Airport was brought to a standstill on Tuesday night by a massive rain storm that has flooded the island of Majorca. The airport’s car park was flooded by the deluge of water that hit the island on Tuesday

The floor of the airport was subsequently covered in water from the storm

The floor of the airport was subsequently covered in water from the storm 

Queues inside the airport grew longer and longer on Tuesday, as departures and arrivals were massively delayed

Queues inside the airport grew longer and longer on Tuesday, as departures and arrivals were massively delayed

Can I fly to Majorca?

Although there were numerous delays and cancellations at Palma Airport – which saw 31million passengers pass through its doors in 2023 – the tourist hub is still open and operational. 

However, there are still delays for flight arriving and departing Palma, with flights to London Gatwick, Manchester and Leeds all affected. 

A spokeswoman for Aena, which manages airports across Spain, confirmed to MailOnline that ‘operations had returned to normal’ as of Wednesday afternoon.  

While there might be a delay to your journey, there has been no advice from local authorities or the UK Government warning travellers not to use the airport due to the adverse weather conditions. 

Much of the Balearics and the Levante area, popular tourist regions that sit on the east of Spain, have been hit with torrential rain that has wrought devastation.

Images from Costa Blanca showed submerged streets, overflowing rivers, and fast-moving water barrelling across dry fields before crashing onto highways.

Hail stones have fallen in some parts of the Valencian community, which includes the provinces of Alicante and Valencia, with more predicted today, while Benidorm is on a yellow storm alert with the possibility of rain put at 100 per cent.

Further south in Murcia roads have been turned into raging torrents. In its capital city locals and tourists were pictured ankle-deep in water in its main street as they tried to negotiate their way past shops while others took refuge inside.

Elsewhere in the province cars were seen and wheelie bins were seen ‘swimming’ down streets which looked more like rivers. Firefighters were said to be ‘working tirelessly’ with roads closed in some places.

What should I do if my flight gets cancelled? 

Much of the Balearics and the Levante area, popular tourist regions that sit on the east of Spain, have been hit with torrential rain that has wrought devastation

Much of the Balearics and the Levante area, popular tourist regions that sit on the east of Spain, have been hit with torrential rain that has wrought devastation

Several regions across south-east Spain have been hit with torrential rain, hail and strong winds causing flash floods and forcing the closure of roads. Pictured: A car is seen half submerged in waters in the city of Murcia

Several regions across south-east Spain have been hit with torrential rain, hail and strong winds causing flash floods and forcing the closure of roads. Pictured: A car is seen half submerged in waters in the city of Murcia

If your flight is cancelled, you have a number of different options. 

You are legally entitled to a full refund, which includes other flights from the airline that you won’t use in the same booking, such as onward or return flights.

You are also entitled to a replacement flight to get you to your destination. 

If your cancelled flight delays you by two hours or more, you have the legal right to be helped with costs. 

If the replacement flight offered to you has delayed you by two hours or more, and you were given less than two weeks’ notice, you are legally entitled to compensation. 

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