Palma Airport registered at least thirty flight delays this Friday, coinciding with a new day of strike by Groundforce company's ground staff, responsible for ramp assistance services. According to Aena data, sixteen departures and fourteen arrivals at Son Sant Joan were affected.

Palma Airport registered at least thirty flight delays this Friday, coinciding with a new day of strike by Groundforce company's ground staff, responsible for ramp assistance services. According to Aena data, sixteen departures and fourteen arrivals at Son Sant Joan were affected.

The Platform Against Airport Expansion warns that expanding airports in the Balearic Islands could worsen the housing crisis and the over-tourism of the archipelago. In a statement, the organizations that make up the platform—including the GOB (Balearic Ornithological Group)—express "serious social concern" about the direction of Aena's airport policy, which—they claim—has the approval of both the Spanish government and the Balearic government. The activists recall that the Dora II Plan (2019-2025) already expanded the facilities, with more walkways, the widening of Terminals A and D in Palma, and increased parking capacity. But they warn that the future Dora III Plan (2027-2031) "is a ticking time bomb": it plans to allocate 600 million euros to Palma within a total package of 13 billion euros across Spain.

After months of intense controversy, which prompted citizens, institutions, and pacifist groups to demand explanations and alternatives, the Ministry of Defense has finally backed down and withdrawn plans to build a large ammunition depot at the Son Sant Joan air base (Palma), a project that had alarmed residents of Sant Jordi. According to sources close to the Air Force and the Ministry, the original idea of ​​equipping this facility with an ammunition storage capacity of 75,000 kg of material such as bombs and missiles has been suspended, and other locations outside the base are now being considered. The project—which had already been awarded and included in a plan to modernize Spanish military logistics—had drawn considerable opposition, especially from residents of Casa Blanca and Sant Jordi, due to its proximity to urban areas and Palma's civilian airport, Spain's third busiest airport for passenger traffic.

Aena has already completed 70% of the Son Sant Joan airport renovation. With an investment of over 400 million euros, this is the most significant project undertaken at this key hub for mobility and tourism in the Balearic Islands. Arriving by road at the main terminal, it's easy to see how the number of walkways is increasing considerably (fingersto access the aircraft. It's hard not to conclude that this is an expansion, but Aena has denied for years that these actions constitute one, always referring to the improvement of passenger comfort.

The Balearic Islands branch of the CCOO Habitat Federation has filed a complaint with the Labor Inspectorate regarding the alleged non-payment of wages and excessive working hours of its employees at a subcontracted company working on the renovation of both Palma Airport and Manacor Hospital. The union, in a statement outlining the events as reported by the workers themselves, also highlights alleged falsification of daily reports, cash payments without social security contributions, employees being denied vacation time, per diems "disguised and misappropriated" as advances, and transfers to the Spanish mainland without prior agreement. According to the union, as of Wednesday, the workers had still not received their wages and were working ten-hour shifts despite signing documents purporting to show they were only working eight.

The anticipation surrounding the Air Force's performance has caused kilometers-long traffic jams on the Manacor road near Son Ferriol and Casa Blanca. As a result, access to and from the motorway have also been affected, leading to traffic chaos this Saturday morning. Hundreds of cars turned out this Saturday to see the military display taking place at the Son Sant Joan air base. This, combined with the rain, caused a traffic jam from Palma towards Manacor, according to the Civil Guard. In addition to the traffic jams, Palma airport has temporarily suspended operations to mark the 75th anniversary of the Son Sant Joan air base. Air operations, Aena reported, will be halted between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

The Ministry of Defense will build a new strategic materials storage facility at Son Sant Joan Air Base with a base budget of approximately €1.8 million. The project, promoted by the Air Force and Space Logistics Support Command, is included in the 2025 Infrastructure Action Plan and will be located in an undeveloped area in the southeast of the military base. This Thursday, during the Palma City Council plenary session, residents of the Casa Blanca neighborhood, located between Sant Jordi and Palma Airport, expressed their opposition to the construction of this facility due to its proximity to their community. The residents, echoing the concerns raised by the Balearic Workers' Union (UOB) on Wednesday, believe it poses a risk to the neighborhood and the Casa Blanca school.

Palma Airport will temporarily close Module D from November 4th until April for a complete roof renovation, according to Aena. The work will include replacing the air conditioning and lighting systems with new, more modern and efficient ones, as well as remodeling the suspended ceiling. During this period, flight operations that normally take place in Module D will be transferred to Module C, and Module A, which is usually closed in winter, will remain open to ensure better passenger traffic management. Aena explained that this action is part of the public company's Climate Action Plan, which aims to move towards a more sustainable and energy-efficient airport model. The renovation is expected to significantly improve the building's energy performance and reduce the environmental impact of the facilities.

The Platform Against the Expansion of Palma Airport and several neighborhood and environmental associations demanded this Saturday a ban on night flights to Son Sant Joan as part of the International Day to End These Operations, promoted by the European network Stay Grounded.

TIB workers, on an indefinite strike since last Friday, protested today at the Palma airport bus stop and distributed leaflets to passengers with their main demands. They continue their protests, explaining in writing in English and Spanish that they are on strike because their employment situation "borders on precariousness," forcing them to work more than 12 hours a day, or because they want "a fair pay rise," as their wages "have been frozen for more than a decade."

Workers of companies subcontracted by Aena to provide logistics and ground operations services to aircraft, airlines and passengers (handling) at Son Sant Joan Airport complain of working "among fleas and cockroaches." A worker on the ARA Baleares plane shows off her body "covered in flea bites." In fact, at the workers' demonstration this Friday protesting working conditions, the secretary of the UGT (Union of Workers' Union) for the air sector in the Balearic Islands, José Negreira, denounced that "there's everything in the baggage claim area." "We have workers with many bites all over the place. It's shameful," he reiterated. Along the same lines, he added that passengers, "when they board, they see fireflies running around." "The airport is the gateway for tourism to the Islands. We're the first face they see, and the service isn't very good," he insisted.

The Civil Guard has arrested a 32-year-old man at Palma Airport accused of assaulting a law enforcement officer for biting him, after discovering that the airline he was traveling with had lost his luggage.

Another incident involving tourists at Palma Airport. Two young men have stolen wheelchairs that Son Sant Joan has set up for people with mobility issues, allowing them to perform runs and tricks in the baggage claim area.

Eighteen people were injured to varying degrees in a fire at Palma Airport. According to the Emergency Services, the fire started on a Ryanair plane that was stopped on the runway. Six of the injured had to be taken to hospitals on the island, while the rest were treated at Son Sant Joan and did not require further medical attention.