Cancellations have plagued Majorca’s international airport as the Spanish holiday haven battled against storms and tourists hope ‘normality’ may return today.
More than 300 flights have been cancelled and hundreds delayed at Palma Son Sant Joan Airport over the past few days amid torrential rain and severe flooding in parts of the Mediterranean. This included 150 flights on Wednesday, 180 on Thursday and ten on Friday, according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin, leaving tourists completely stranded on the island.
This triggered a wave of backlash against a number of airlines including Ryanair, as some passengers complained they were left without vital information on temporary accomodation. Ryanair has since issued an apology to its passengers but criticised Spanish Air Traffic Control for what it described as a ‘nonsensical’ move preventing planes from landing.
Their statement read: “It makes no sense given there were no weather issues in Palma this morning as confirmed by the fact that flights departing Palma were allowed to continue as normal. Passengers were allowed to leave Palma de Majorca but those coming on holiday were not allowed to arrive.
“Ryanair has been unable to contact the Head of Spanish ATC this morning to reverse this nonsensical decision and now calls on the Spanish Minister of Transport to explain why Palma de Mallorca was closed for arriving passengers due to non-existent weather issues.”
Jose Antonio Santana, president of ENAIRE, Spain’s air navigation manager, slammed Ryanair’s comments as ‘unacceptable’, standing by the flight restrictions for ‘public safety reasons’ due to storm conditions.
Severe weather has wreaked havoc across all Balearic Islands this week, with conditions becoming so severe in Menorca that the Civil Guard had to carry out helicopter rescues for 16 individuals on Thursday due to flooding. In response to the devastation, authorities in Menorca are now urging the Spanish government to declare the island’s most severely affected central areas a ‘disaster zone’.
However, reports insist that ‘normality’ is expected at the airport today, Saturday, August 17, as the effects of the ‘DANA depression’ have begun to cease, following its migration away from the Spanish archipelago.
In the midst of the holiday chaos, British airline Jet2, also issued an update to their website: “We’d just like to let you know that Majorca (Palma) Airport is currently undergoing some maintenance work. Don’t worry though, we’re liaising with the airport to ensure your airport experience runs as smoothly as possible.
“Our Customer Helpers will also be on hand as usual if you need any help. We thank you in advance for your understanding and patience. All Jet2.com flights will be using check-in desks 188 to 203 and will board from Module A.”
Yesterday, Mallorca Airport also issued a statement, informing passengers that most delays were now limited to ‘under 30 minutes’. It said: “Today [August 16], operations at Palma Airport are gradually returning to normal. Although numerous flights continue to experience delays, most are now limited to under 30 minutes, marking a substantial improvement from the disruptions of the previous days.
“The airport has faced criticism for the extent of delays and cancellations over the last 48 hours. However, a spokesperson defended the airport’s actions, emphasising that passenger safety remains the highest priority and cannot be compromised under any circumstances.
“While the worst of the severe weather appears to have passed, a yellow alert for rain and storms remains in effect until 6 pm on Friday, downgraded from Thursday’s orange warning.”