Flooding at Palma airport with only 11 liters per square meter of rainfall

PalmThis Thursday morning's storm has once again put Palma Airport to the test. Between 7 and 8 a.m., heavy rain fell heavily on Mallorca and caused several incidents at Son Sant Joan. According to Aemet data, 11 l/m² fell, but it was enough to cause leaks and seepage, which once again generated images reminiscent—albeit on a smaller scale—of those in June 2024, when the airport even flooded. Leaks, in fact, have been a constant on rainy days since the project's inauguration in 1997.

The leaks on July 10 were particularly visible on the second floor of the terminal building, near the escalators. Another notable scene is the one shown at the top of this article: a seemingly unused area with stacked iron beams, a piece of wood spanning a door between two rooms, part of the dismantled roof, and a yellow construction fence, with the ground partially flooded and several inches of accumulated water. According to Aena, this area is not part of the passenger circuit.

The airport manager explained that the storm caused delays in flight operations for safety reasons. However, with the improvement in weather conditions, operations have gradually returned to normal throughout the day. During the rainy season, a flight from Paris had to be diverted to Ibiza Airport, although it was finally able to land in Palma hours later. Two outbound and inbound flights have also been canceled, one connecting to Ibiza and the other to Menorca.

Regarding the leaks in the check-in area, Aena has indicated that they occurred as a result of the renovation work on the upper terrace, which is still incomplete. These works facilitate leaks when it rains heavily.

Since 2022, Palma Airport has been undergoing the most ambitious renovation in its history, with a planned investment of €247 million in this final phase. The works, which affect several areas of the facility, are expected to be completed in 2026.