Low-cost flights: the contradiction that challenges us
The flights low cost They are, today, an entry and exit gateway with undeniable repercussions for the Balearic Islands. They have given many people the opportunity to fly and have improved the islands' connectivity. But they are also one of the main channels that fuel the mass tourism that has become one of the most significant collective headaches for island society today. The paradox is more than evident: we complain about the massive arrival of visitors via these flights, but at the same time we depend on them to go out, to travel, and to feel connected.
When the season ends, and with it the companies close down a good part of these routes, the recurring complaint of the lack of options and the difficulty—and cost—of traveling from the Balearic Islands surfaces. low cost We find it annoying when tourists arrive, but "necessary" if we use it ourselves. This contradiction deserves careful reflection, especially at a time when the debate about the effects of tourism and the climate emergency is more alive than ever.
CO₂ emissions from aviation skyrocket year after year, and every cheap flight has a real environmental cost. An island, vulnerable by definition, is one of the first to suffer the impact of climate change. It is also symptomatic that, while protests against saturation multiply, we see demonstrations at Son Sant Joan Airport against the working conditions of airlines. low cost: low wages, long hours, and precarious conditions. We are outraged by this reality, but we continue to buy tickets at ridiculously low prices.
The social picture is, however, even more complex. Around 30% of families in the Balearic Islands don't travel even once a year because they can't afford it. The rest, on the other hand, take advantage of every available discount to escape, often to disconnect from a reality marked by job insecurity and unaffordable housing. Many young people, knowing they will hardly be able to afford a home or plan for a stable future, find travel the only possible luxury. And there are those who use a cheap flight to go out to dinner or shopping everywhere, as if it were a taxi with wings.
We cannot—nor do we want to—demonize travel. Traveling is educational, expansive, culturally enriching. But we also cannot ignore that the sum of individual excesses ends up generating a collective problem.
Moderation should not be understood as renunciation but as responsibility. And responsibility, in times of climate crisis and tourist saturation, must be shared by administrations, companies, and citizens. If we want a livable future, we must accept that comfort low cost It has a price that, sooner or later, someone pays: the territory, the workers, the climate, in short, despite everyone.
